Alethiology in Volterra
by Reveri
Summary: After travelling the world, a woman ends up in Volterra and begins to question everything she has ever known. There is no escaping the clutches of the Volturi, and Altheia Beneventi must tread the world of vampires so fragile and so delightfully human. Aro/Marcus/Caius/OC. Team Bella. Mature themes. POLYFIC.
1. Prologue

**Alethiology - the study of the truth  
**

* * *

**ALETHIOLOGY IN VOLTERRA**

**PROLOGUE**

"Papa, I'm home!"

A young woman called out as she closed the door behind her. Even from the porch, she could already hear Mozart playing from her father's record player upstairs. She smiled sadly to herself as she pulled herself out of her coat.

Luciano often locked himself in his room and listened to classical pieces when he was missing his wife. It was his way of grieving, and she understood.

Her mother, Adrienne Beneventi, had passed in her sleep no more than four months ago.

Although surreal and painful, she could still picture her six-year-old self grinning between her doting parents as she passed the living room.

_Papa, can I play outside now?_

_Addie, cuore mio, surely our dolcezza has earned her time to play outside..._

_Luce, please! She has a gift, it would be a waste not to practice!_

_Of course, of course... simply saying four hours of practice is too much..._

The antique house clock chimed 7PM, shaking her out of her reverie.

She trudged up the staircase and silently headed to her father's room to force him to eat dinner, only to find the door unlocked. She called out once again before slowly opening the door. "Pa...?"

Luciano Beneventi was seated on a rocking chair beside his bedroom window. The room was darkening now, a bedside lamp illuminating only half his body, but he looked tranquil, peaceful, and asleep. A soft breeze blew the lace curtains around Luciano's sleeping frame. In the corner of his room, an old record player started to play Schubert.

The young woman smiled lovingly as she leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. Was this the first real sleep he had since Mama died? She really shouldn't wake him up... Close the window, yes, maybe...

As she maneuvered around her sleeping father to pull the window down on the early winter breeze chilling the room, she felt a warm, viscous wetness on her forearm. She titled her arm and screamed as she had begun to process the redness oozing from the side of Luciano's mouth, dripping into a puddle of blood on the wooden floor. Shaking, she held around his neck and felt for a pulse.

"Papa, _no!_" The young woman was frantic. "_Aiuto! **Aiuto!**"_

»»—- ❈ —-««

A month later, after laying Luciano to his final rest beside Adrienne and settling legal affairs, the young woman found herself sobbing on the staircase, a letter clutched to her heart.

There would be no Mozart or Schubert playing tonight.

»»—- ❈ —-««

_Dolcezza..._

_Beyond this pain, you must know, your mother and I were blessed with you_

_I can only hope you indulge your old Pa one last time - travel the world_

_We know this has been your dream per sempre. So travel. Find your life_

_We will love you and guide you from above_

_._

* * *

*Translations for this chapter:  
_Aiuto - _help_  
Dolcezza - _sweetheart_  
Per sempre_ \- forever

Version Jul 17 2020


	2. Chapter I: Future Decided

**Chapter I: Future Decided**

**THREE YEARS LATER  
March 19th**

As the plane sat idle on the tarmac and flight attendants strolled between aisles, securing overhead compartments and passenger seating arrangements, Alice Cullen was sure she should have booked first class tickets from New York to Florence instead. She couldn't - for the death of her - concentrate on Edward's suicide attempts, calming Bella's slow descent into madness, and the hundreds of voices surrounding her! Not to mention Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were probably trying to reach her when her phone was in airplane mode!

"He keeps changing his mind," Alice mutters to Bella in a low voice. "Going on a killing spree, attacking the Volturi guard, lifting a car in the middle of the plaza..."

"I can't _believe_ him!" Bella wrung her hands around in a frustrated outburst. "Oh, like it's _perfectly fine_ to leave Bella unprotected, so let's forget about her! But the damn moment he finds out I've 'died' he has the _audacity_ to be the victim! Maybe don't leave if you can't be responsible about it, Edward!"

"_Shh!_" Alice looked pointedly to the young woman seated beside Bella near the plane window. Bella stills, shifts awkwardly, and apologizes to the woman beside her with a sheepish look.

"It's fine," The young woman assures Bella with a small smile. "I'm pretty sure whatever the guy did, he deserves your anger."

"Anger doesn't even come _close_." Bella muttered, almost to herself, until she looked up to the woman again. Her lips parted in awe. "Um..."

The woman beside her, Bella had decided in her head, almost reminded her of Rosalie. Or Esme. Whichever, it didn't matter. In her mind, the woman was, for a lack of better word, like _them,_ beautiful, in an unworldly kind of way. Although this woman had wavy brown hair and fringes framing her face. And brown eyes instead of gold. And definitely not American. She looked regal, but there was a certain softness... Maybe this was what she could look like if she became a vampire-

Bella almost asked but bit her tongue. Instead, she held out her hand. "Sorry, I'm really usually this awkward... my name's Bella Swan."

"I'm Altheia," The woman offered in amusement as she shook Bella's hand. Bella, noting the warm temperature of Altheia's hand, recognized the name. She heard Alice let out a small gasp beside her but ignored it.

"Aletheia? As in, Greek?"

"Yes, actually," Altheia was impressed. "_Aletheia_, as in, Greek for truth. My parents loved the language."

"I only know because I read too much of the classics," Bella admitted, suddenly feeling shy. She gestured to the real vampire beside her. "This is Alice Cullen."

"Uh-huh... Is Alice okay?"

Bella turned to Alice, only to find the vampire's eyes glazed over. Alice was _definitely_ having another vision. She nudged Alice with her elbow and coughed. A quick second later, Alice's gaze refocused, and smiled stiffly at Altheia.

"You're not going to Volterra, too, are you?" Alice's voice chimed nervously. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"Small world, but yes, I actually am." Altheia affirmed as the plane surged forward. She reached for a book and a music player from the leather satchel under her seat. "Anyhow, don't mind me, Bella and Alice." Alice nodded stiffly. "I'll just be reading here."

As Altheia settled comfortably with her book and earphones, Bella turned her attention to Alice. "What did you see, Alice? Is it Edward?"

Alice shook her head and bit her lip. "The Volturi, Bella."

Bella stiffened. "Edward... He, he told me... They're an old and powerful coven, almost like royalty, that Carlisle stayed with for a while... and that you didn't mess with them unless... unless you wanted to die," Bella finished in a whisper. "What about the Volturi?"

"There were originally three - Aro, Caius, and Marcus. Two females joined them over time, and the five of them make up the family. I'm not sure, but I suspect that their age is what gives them the ability to live peacefully together. They are well over three thousand years old. Or maybe it's their gifts that give them extra tolerance. Like Edward and I, Aro and Marcus are… talented." Alice started to massage her temples with her fingertips. "There were nine members of the guard that were permanent, the last time we heard. Others are more… transitory. It changes. And many of them are gifted as well– with formidable gifts, gifts that make what I can do look like a parlor trick. The Volturi chose them for their abilities, physical or otherwise." Bella gulped. "There's a reason he called them royalty… the ruling class. Over the millennia, they have assumed the position of enforcing our rules–which actually translates to punishing transgressors. They fulfill that duty decisively."

"And Edward's going to provoke them... so they'd... end him?"

Alice nodded nervously. "We may even be too late... I think I saw... I saw him ask Aro to kill him. But I think Aro offered him a place with the Guard instead. To which he refused."

"So we just have to get there in time! We just need to convince Edward I'm not dead-" _yet,_ Bella wanted to add. "-that's all."

"Bella, listen to me. That's _not_ what I saw just now." Alice held her firmly by the shoulders. "It was so clear. So certain. It looked like it was a future decided."

"What was?" She was getting confused now.

"Altheia," Alice whispered, gesturing to the woman absorbed in her reading nook. "She was there. In Volterra. Beside us. In front of the kings."

Bella gasped. "Alice, she's _human_! What the _hell_ are you say—"

"Bella, _listen_ to me." Alice forced her around face-to-face again. "Whatever it is, with Altheia in the vision, Edward gets out. _You_ get out. _I_ get out. _Nobody dies_."

"Alice, are you... are you saying we should take her with us? She doesn't even _know_ us! We'd be putting her in danger!" Bella hissed. "I am **_not_** doing this, Alice!"

"We don't have a choice," Alice murmurs as her hands drop from Bella's frame. Her eyes have glazed over again. "Altheia travels with us to Volterra. You and Altheia are running across _Palazzo_ _dei Priori_. You stop Edward in time." Alice's eyes refocus and she takes out her cellphone. "Rest now, Bella. I have to tell Carlisle... whatever this is." She sighs, holding a hand up to Bella's face. "You're in-charge of getting her to go with us. Bella— this is not up for discussion."

With Alice now arguing over the phone, Bella's heart begins to thud against her chest. She focused on the woman sitting beside her, suddenly feeling guilty. Altheia, who was kind to her and Alice. Altheia, who had a Greek name. Altheia, who she met not even an hour ago! Altheia, who, probably, unlike her, had a human life not involving wanting to be a vampire. And being in love with a certain Edward who had suicidal tendencies.

Bella's eyes started to moisten. Was she going to doom this woman, too?

"Hey, you okay?"

Bella snapped out of her reverie. Altheia was comforting her, book now closed, earphones plugged out.

The fact that she was genuinely kind made it a hundred times worse.

Was Edward worth this woman's life?

"I just," Bella's voice croaked, dangerously on the verge of crying. "I just really want to save Edward."

Altheia nodded slowly, slightly confused. "Okay... then you should go save Edward. Is he why you're going to Volterra? Is he in trouble?"

Bella didn't trust herself enough to speak. She nodded instead.

"Honestly, I'm just stopping by Volterra for the Saint Marcus parade. Then I'm going home to Campania." Altheia held Bella's hand comfortingly. "I can spare a few hours to help you with this Edward. It's no trouble."

Bella felt Alice pat her back. She ignored the gesture, closed her eyes, and tried to breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

_If this was how it had to be, then..._

_Oh, Edward... You better wait for me, you stupid..._

"_Siamo angeli con un'ala sola, solo restando abbracciati possiamo volare._" Altheia recited suddenly. Bella tried to blink back the tears. "We are angels with only one wing; by embracing each other are we able to fly." Altheia squeezed her hands tight. "You must believe in your Edward."

"Okay," Bella whispered softly after a moment of silence. Her lips wobbled. "...okay."

It was then that Bella stopped holding back. She hid her face in her palms, grit her teeth, and sobbed.

»»—- ❈ —-««

As the plane circled around the clouds, preparing for its slow descent towards the city of Florence, Altheia couldn't help but reminisce. The last time she was in Italy, she was a nervous wreck. Having recently resigned from her post as assistant professor of law and philosophies at the University of Naples, armed only with her inheritance, two suitcases, and a flight plan to forty capital cities spanning the seven continents, she was sure she would be shipped back to Italy after making headlines ("STUPID ITALIAN WOMAN FOUND AFTER 3 DAYS IN CANADIAN WILDERNESS"). It's not that she was an idiot, she just had the worst human brain GPS...

Even though she was coming home as a well-traveled twenty-eight-year-old, she would _never_ risk her reputation by getting two Americans lost in her own home country.

"Bella, Bella," She gently nudged her Bella's arm as they descended from the plane. "I'm not sure I can drive us from Florence to Volterra."

Alice's laugh almost made her blush, until she noticed Bella's eyes had widened in realization.

"How_ are_ we getting to Volterra before lunch, Alice?"

_Before lunch?_ Altheia checked her wristwatch. _Accounting for the parade... __Volterra was almost three hours away!_

"Well of course_ I'm_ driving, Bella."

In all fairness, Altheia should have known from the maniacal glint in Alice's eyes and the look of horror that showed on Bella's face. Altheia swallowed nervously when Alice asked,

"How opposed are the both of you to Grand Theft Auto?"

* * *

*The quote was by Luciano De Crescenzo.

**Version 1/5/2020**


	3. Chapter II: Volterra

Hello! Before you guys start with this chapter, I'd like you all to know I edit continuously (even with published chapters). So it would always be better to re-read from the start should you have free time for it.

All my love, Reveri.

* * *

**Chapter II: Volterra**

A bright yellow Porsche screamed to a stop a few feet in front of Bella and Altheia twenty minutes later, the word TURBO scrawled in silver cursive across its back. Everyone on the crowded sidewalk stared.

"Hurry! Get in!" Alice shouted impatiently through the open passenger window. Bella ran to the passenger seat and threw herself in, while Altheia chucked her bags to the back seat and scrambled in.

"Sheesh, Alice," Bella complained. "Could you pick a more conspicuous car to steal?"

Altheia would have laughed, but just a second later, her heart was already at her throat. Alice was already weaving, too fast, through the thick airport traffic - sliding through tiny spaces between cars - leaving the two humans fumbling for their seat belts. Outside the window, the cities of Florence and then the Tuscan landscape flashed past with blurring speed. The sun continued to climb in the sky while Alice raced against it.

"The sun is too _bright_," Bella noted nervously an hour later. "Won't Edward feel the need to wait for noon, after all?"

"_'You just have to believe in Edward'_," Alice reminded Bella in a tone that resembled Altheia's back in the plane. Altheia snorted in the back seat. "You doing okay back there, Altheia?"

"Yes, Alice, thanks for asking," Altheia said sarcastically. "Just spent an hour trying not to look at the speedometer, that's all." Bella hummed in agreement.

Alice rolled her eyes. _Humans._

Altheia's eyes widened as she recognized the ancient sienna walls and towers crowning the peak of the steep hill. "We're here," she breathed against the window.

"Volterra," Alice announced in a flat, icy tone. "The safest city in the world."

Bella snorted. "For humans."

In the backseat, Altheia narrowed her eyes at her new companions' wicked sense of humor, but decided to ignore it as the two bantered more at the front. She noticed that as they entered the city, the road grew more congested. The cars became too close together for Alice to maneuver between cars like an adrenaline junkie. The car slowed to a crawl behind a little tan Peugeot.

"Alice, this is taking _forever_," Bella complained. Alice soothed her, and pointed to the general direction of the city towers.

"Altheia, Bella, listen to me well," Alice ordered hurriedly as the car skidded to a halt, pointing to the clock tower again, which they could see now more vividly. "You have to run to the direction of the clock tower. _Palazzo dei Priori._ Edward will be under the clock tower, to the north of the square. There's a narrow alleyway on the right, and he'll be in the shadow there. You have to get his attention before he can move into the sun. Right now, we're at the southern end of the square. Run straight across - _don't even think twice_ about pushing people, just _run_!" Bella nodded furiously. "You have two minutes left! _Go! **Go!**_"

Bella and Altheia threw the doors open and launched themselves out of the car. They were momentarily blinded by the intensity of the sun at noontime, and the blazing colors of red in shirts, hats, posters, and flags. Not to mention the overwhelming singsong of the celebrants at the plaza. Altheia jolted Bella alert as she took her hand, and started pulling against people as they ran to the direction of the clock tower. Obscenities were flung in their direction as they furiously pushed past against crowds of people displaying St Marcus relics and religious statues.

Beads of sweat dripping from the side of her face, Altheia suddenly hurled Bella to her front with all her strength, pushing her into the open space just meters from the narrow alleyway beneath the clock tower. Bella ran at full force to the direction of the passageway as Altheia squared her shoulders and braced the full impact of holding a crowd of four kids back from pushing into Bella's way.

"**Edward! Edward!**" Bella was screaming as she caught sight of a young man, motionless as a statue, just a few feet from the mouth of the alley. His eyes were closed, the rings underneath them deep purple, his arms relaxed at his sides, his palms turned forward. His expression was very peaceful, as if he was dreaming pleasant things. The light reflecting from the pavement of the square gleamed dimly from his skin as he took a large stride forward.

Altheia watched as Bella slammed into the young man, Edward, and thought, she had never seen anything more beautiful than how Bella would repeatedly push against Edward, and how he would smile to himself as he took the force of her pummeling at his chest. Edward took two steps back into the alleyway as she could see him murmur against Bella's frantic form. Her run had slowed to a walk towards them as she watched Edward's hands travel from Bella's sides to her waist and the back of her head, pulling her against him in an embrace.

"If that isn't the sweetest thing, but _damn_, Bella, you could warn a girl next time." Altheia muttered under her breath as she approached the couple, hidden behind the wall of the alley. "You didn't tell me Edward was just waiting for you here. All that running for nothing."

Bella shook her head as she detached herself from Edward's confused form. "I would explain if I could, but the important thing is — we made it."

Edward shot Bella a look, saying — _explain. now._

Bella sighed. "Before that, we have to make sure the Volturi—"

Edward cut Bella off, suddenly pulling both women behind him. Altheia found herself beside Bella and the alley wall at dizzying speed.

"Greetings, gentlemen," Edward's voice was calm and pleasant on the surface. "I don't think I'll be requiring your services today. I would appreciate it very much, however, if you would send my thanks to your masters..."

"Shall we take this conversation to a more appropriate venue?" Bella and Altheia flinched as they heard a menacing voice whisper.

"I don't believe that will be necessary," Edward's voice was harder now. "I know your instructions, Felix. I haven't broken any rules."

Altheia shot Bella an annoyed look, mouthing, "_Mafia?_", while Bella shook her head and mouthed "_Sorry_!".

_What the hell were Bella and Edward into?_

"Felix merely meant to point out the proximity of the sun," A new voice said in a soothing tone. Altheia could now see two shadows concealed within smoky gray cloaks that reached to the ground and undulated in the wind. "Let us seek better cover."

"I'll be right behind you," Edward said dryly. "Bella, why don't you take your friend back to the square and enjoy the festival?"

"No, bring the girls," The first shadow said, somehow injecting a leer into his whisper.

"I don't think so." The pretense of civility disappeared. Edward's voice was flat and icy. His weight shifted infinitesimally, ready to spring at any time.

"Aro would simply like to speak with you again, if you have decided not to force our hand after all." The second shadow said apathetically.

"Certainly," Edward agreed. "But they go free."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," The voice offered regretfully. Altheia tensed as she watched Bella's hands shake. "We do have rules to obey." They head footsteps inching closer and closer to their position. Edward wouldn't move an inch.

Abruptly, Edward's head whipped around, towards the darkness of the winding alley, as did the figures surrounding Edward.

"Let's behave ourselves, shall we?" a lilting voice suggested. "There are ladies present. Right, Felix, Demetri?"

Alice fell into the spot beside Altheia, her stance casual. There was no hint of underlying tension. She looked tiny and fragile, her arms swung beside her like a child's. The tall men suddenly straightened, realizing their numbers were even now.

"We're not _alone_," Alice reminded them further, glancing a few yards into the square, where a little family of girls in red dresses were watching them. Their mother was speaking urgently to her husband, eyes set on the cloaked men. The man shot one a look and headed straight to a red-coated officer, who now joined in observing their crowd of six.

Edward's teeth clenched. "No."

**"Enough."**

The voice was high, much like a child's. Altheia peeked from Edward's back and blinked repeatedly as she saw a tiny girl in a gray cloak, almost tinier than Alice, but with light brown hair barely reaching the shoulders. The wide-eyed, full-lipped face could pass for a Botticelli angel, but the face was too pretty for a boy. Despite her size, her arrival had instantly reduced the brute men back into the shadows of the overhanging walls.

"Jane," Edward sighed in defeat, arms dropping at his sides.

Alice folded her arms across her chest, her face impassive.

"Follow me," Jane spoke again, her childish voice in monotone. She turned away and drifted silently into the dark.

Alice walked after the little Jane at once, pulling Altheia's hand slightly to follow her stride. Edward wrapped his arm around Bella's waist and pulled her along as well. The two men in cloaks followed right after, closing all routes for escape.

The alley angled slightly downward as it narrowed. Altheia was too scared to ask questions. Instead, she shot Bella a nervous look.

"Well, Alice," Edward said conversationally. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

"It was my mistake," Alice answered in the same tone. "It was my job to set it right."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story," Alice's eyes flickered from Bella to Altheia. "In summary, Bella did jump off a cliff, not to kill herself, but for extreme sports." Bella flushed. "We met Altheia along the way. Let's just say her presence was necessary for the success."

"Hm." Edward said curtly, eyeing both human women in front of him. Thinking. Observing.

There was a loose curve to the alley, as they turned and reached a squared-off dead end, faced with a flat, windowless, brick surface. The little one called Jane was nowhere to be seen.

Alice didn't hesitate as she strode toward the wall. She dropped Altheia's hand, which she had been holding through the walk. With easy grace, she slid down an open hole beneath their feet. It looked like a drain, sunk into the lowest point of the paving. The hole was small and black.

Altheia took several steps back. Bella balked.

"It's all right, Bella," Edward said in a low voice. "Alice will catch you."

Bella crouched down to the floor and swung her feet into the hole. "Alice?" Her voice called out into the darkness, trembling.

"I'm right here, Bella." Alice's voice reassured in a distant echo. Edward took Bella's wrists as he lowered her into the blackness.

"Ready?" Edward asked.

"Drop her," Alice called.

When Bella disappeared into the hole, her scream dwindling down after almost a minute, Altheia gulped. All three men now faced her, expecting her to follow suit.

Altheia shook her head nervously. "You can go first, Edward." Her voice croaked. She heard the two men behind her snicker.

"Ladies first," Edward offered in an amused voice. "Afraid of heights?"

"Isn't there any other entrance? How deep is that fall?" Altheia had backed up several more steps until she hit the bracing arms of the two brutes from earlier.

"Fifty feet." The voice behind her answered good-naturedly. She flinched and tried to push back.

"I really... am afraid... of heights..." She struggled against them so forcefully they had to manhandle her down the hole. She was sure they would leave bruises. "I'm _really_ \- rather not - _please_ don't -"

"Stop - just go down," If Edward could laugh, he would have. But it would have been in bad taste, considering the Italian woman had risked her life to save him. "Are - Are you seriously _crying_?"

Altheia's face had morphed into a adorable pink mess of fear and anxiety, tears pricking at her eyes. Edward barked out a laugh.

"I would advise you to just close your eyes, hold your breath, and clamp your mouth shut."

Altheia's eyes glanced pleadingly to the two cloaked men. "There are other entrances, right, s_ignori_...?"

They snickered at her. "Sadly, _signora_, none right now."

Altheia clenched her teeth as she was lowered into the passage. "Edward, I don't want to do this," she hissed as her heart hammered. Cold hands held her wrist. "Please - don't, I _can't_!"

"Ready, Altheia?" Edward was still snickering. Altheia flashed her middle fingers to his face. She could hear someone chortling.

"Drop her!" Alice called out.

When Edward let Altheia fall fifty feet deep through the passage, all vampires in the near vicinity could immediately hear varied and colorful obscenities - both in Italian and English - for a full twenty seconds, until the cursing voice faded. Edward jumped down soon after Felix and Demetri started shaking in laughter.

"Why, Altheia, I didn't know you had a filthy mouth!" Alice jested to the woman she caught in her arms.

There was no response.

"Oh. Edward," Alice leveled her gaze as Edward emerged from the passage and slid swiftly to Bella's side, who was sat on the floor. "We might need a few human minutes."

"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asked, and Bella nodded dumbly. He turned to the other human. "And Altheia?"

Alice grinned, raising her arms to showcase the unconscious, tear-stricken form of the Italian woman. "She probably fainted halfway through the fall."

"I told you, Alice. I wasn't exaggerating..." Bella mumbled as Altheia roused slowly from unconsciousness minutes later.

"_I never want to go back here_," Altheia grumbled in Italian as Alice set her upright slowly. Edward snorted. "_I never want to see your faces again._"

"Where are we?" Bella muttered as she scanned the area. Altheia shrugged Alice's hold and latched onto Bella as they started walking again, glaring at Alice and Edward.

The tunnel was dim, illuminated only by light from the passageway above. The tunnel spanned almost half a kilometer, until the group reached a thick, dark, and looming metal door. Altheia released a sigh of relief when the grills unlatched and revealed a brightly lit hallway. The walls were off-white, the floor carpeted in industrial gray. At the end of the hallway stood the little girl from earlier, Jane, shrouded in her gray cloak.

Once inside the elevator, the guards in cloaks visibly relaxed. Altheia watched in awe as their hoods fell back on their shoulders, revealing three attractive individuals. Jane simply looked like an angel. Felix and Demetri were both of a slightly olive complexion, a bit odd as it paired with their chalky pallor. Felix's hair was cropped short, but Demetri's hair waved to his shoulders. Their irises were deep crimson around the edges, darkening until they were black around the pupil. Under the shrouds, their clothes were modern, pale, and nondescript. Altheia gulped nervously when her eyes traveled to Alice and Edward, who looked similar to the guards, except for their golden irises.

The elevator ride was short. The group stepped out to a posh office reception area. The walls were paneled in wood, the floors carpeted in thick, deep green. There were no windows, but brightly lit paintings of the Tuscan countryside hung on the panels as replacements. Pale leather couches were arranged in cozy groupings, and the glossy tables held crystal vases full of vibrantly colored bouquets. The flowers' smell reminded Bella of a funeral home. Altheia shuddered.

In the middle of the room was a high, polished mahogany counter. Behind it was a tall, dark-skinned, green-eyed woman. She smiled politely. "Good afternoon, Jane." There was no surprise in her face as she glanced from the little girl to the group of disheveled-looking visitors.

Jane nodded. "Gianna." She continued toward a set of double doors in the back of the room, guiding the group.

On the other side of the wooden doors was a different kind of reception. A pale boy stood lazily in the connecting hall in a pearl gray suit. His hair was darker, lips not as full, but just as lovely as his obvious twin. He smiled, reaching for her. "Jane."

"Alec," she responded, embracing the boy. They exchanged cheek kisses. Then the boy looked behind her.

"Ah, Jane," Alec's eyes widened infinitesimally. "They send you out for one, and you come back with two... and two halves?" He noted jokingly as he squinted at Bella and Altheia. "Nice work."

"Hate to break it to you," Altheia muttered to herself. "But math says that that equals three."

Jane suddenly let out a laugh - the sound sparkled with delight like a baby's cooning. Alec grinned at Altheia's direction, before eyeing Edward. "Welcome back, Edward. You seem in a better mood."

"Marginally," Edward agreed in a flat voice. Alec chuckled as his gaze rested on Bella, who shrugged awkwardly at the focus of his attention.

"And _this_ is the cause of all the trouble?" He asked, surveying Bella from head to toe, skeptical. He shrugged suddenly, as if losing interest, and took his twin's hand as he ushered the newly arrived into the main hall. Upon ascending the marble staircase, leading to a grand throne room, Alice pulled Altheia from Bella's form and hid her behind. In their formation, Alice and Edward stood in front, Bella showing her face slightly as she peeked from Edward's side, while Altheia kept herself hidden behind Edward's back.

_This was a mistake_, Altheia grabbed at Alice's blouse nervously, huddling herself behind them. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

As they stepped into the throne room, Bella's mouth dropped. It was the largest, most opulent space she had ever seen. Pillars lined the corners, bright, high windows casting light to the front center of the room where three ominous thrones sat equidistant from each other. Bella glanced behind her to see Altheia gaze at the architecture in nervous awe, her eyes lighting up slightly as if in recognition.

Bella blanched. She really did end up dooming this woman.

"Master Aro," Jane's voice announced suddenly, making the humans flinch. "I have brought him back alive, just as you wished."

Bella shuffled nervously towards Edward as she observed Aro. He was different from the vampires she had seen in her life. His skin was translucently white, delicate - and it stood in shocking contrast against the long black hair that framed his face. His eyes were red, the same as the others around him, but the color was clouded... hazy.

Edward watched as Aro glided to Jane, took her face in his paper hands, and kissed her cheeks. "Ah, Jane," he breathed. "You are such a comfort to me." Edward straightened as his hazy red eyes wandered finally from Jane to their group - first to him, then to Alice, and then to Bella. When he returned his gaze to match Edward's, his smile brightened, as if ecstatic.

"Edward! And Alice, and Bella, too!" he rejoiced, clapping his hands together. "This is a happy surprise! Wonderful!" Suddenly his voice dropped as he addressed Felix. "Felix, be a dear and call for my brothers. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss such a happy occasion!"

"Yes, Master." Felix acquiesced immediately, bowing out and disappearing the way they arrived.

"You see, Edward?" Aro smiled at Edward once again, tone fond but scolding like a grandfather. "What did I tell you? Aren't you glad that I didn't give you what you wanted yesterday?"

"Yes, Aro, I am."

"I love a happy ending," Aro sighed to himself. "They are so rare. But _how_ did this story happen? Alice? Your brother seems to think you infallible, but apparently there was _some_ mistake..."

Altheia droned the conversation out as Alice started to respond. She had observed in detachment as Alice and Edward's voices vibrated on her hands that gripped on the backs of their clothes. She vaguely recognized the entrance of more people in front, three voices in total. Voices that were obviously dangerous, and it worsened her fear to imagine even having to see their faces in the next minute.

Altheia jolted from her sleep-wake when Bella suddenly walked towards the front and held her hand towards the man they called Aro. Altheia peeked from between Edward's arm, only able to see a man's black-clad form take Bella's hand and then release it calmly after a minute.

"So very interesting," he muttered as he dropped his hands, expression thoughtful. Abruptly, he motioned for Jane.

"Master?"

"I wonder... if she is immune to us all... specifically, you." Jane smiled sweetly, before turning her gaze to Bella, who was now frozen in front of Aro.

"**_No!_**"

"Edward, _STOP_!"

Edward, in blind rage, launched himself at great speed towards the little girl, leaving Alice and Altheia huddled together on the marble floor. Suddenly, Edward found himself restrained by an unseen force, a struggling cry of pain passing his lips as he cringed against the stones. His scream was deafening.

"Stop, please!" Bella begged, on her knees, completely unaware that as Edward's screams had calmed, Jane had already turned her maniacal gaze on her.

And then a minute passed.

Silence.

"Ah, dear one! Do not be put out!" Aro started to laugh. "This is wonderful. She confounds us all! My brothers, isn't this wonderful? Bella alive, after all! Carlisle's coven can be whole once again!"

Bella and Edward ran to each other, and guided themselves beside Alice and held Altheia behind them once again.

"Yes, Aro, wonderful." Alice's voice echoed across the room. "I would even argue that there was no need for us to meet here."

"Ah, but I needed to ensure, of course, that all was _well_... offer you a comfortable post in my company, should you _like._.." Aro answered lightly but authoritatively, as if speaking to a child. "...that Edward was of a _safe_ mind... that Bella would be _turned_, and that you would _mean_ it, of course..."

"Join or die, is that it?" Edward snarled.

"My dear, of course not!" Aro blinked twice, astonished. "We have convened on this matter. You will be free to go once the sun sets!"

The conversation drifted optimistically until a menacing voice exclaimed, making Altheia flinch.

"Aro, the law claims them!" Caius' voice started to argue.

"How so, brother Caius?"

"_Surely_ I am _not_ the only one here hearing_ two_ humans — _two _beating hearts!"

The moment Aro's eyes widened, Alice and Edward crouched, huddling Altheia behind them. Aro's expression darkened as he concentrated on the presence behind them...

"A lapse on my judgment, brother. I apologize," Aro said sadly. "Another human is in our midst! Felix, Demetri, if you could please..."

Altheia braced herself when Felix and Demetri emerged almost from thin air to pull Alice and Edward away, both struggling and snarling, from concealing her. Bella threw herself to Altheia's form in instinctive protection, leaving them a disheveled heap on the floor. The Kings could now see clearly...

"Ah, I see," Aro's voice was curt. "I don't believe we met earlier... or at all..." There was little trace of annoyance in his voice, but Altheia was sure it was there. "You did not seem to be in Edward's memories. If you could please show us your face..."

Bella kept whispering at Altheia to calm down, but she couldn't. Altheia had her eyes closed and teeth clenched. Her arms braced her sides, but she was sure she was shaking. She shook her head furiously.

"..._before_ I am to use force. It would be such a shame..."

"Aro, it's not what—" Alice had begun to say, when he shot her a murderous look. She bit her tongue.

"I will count to three, little human," Aro threatened. "At the third count, all of you die... _One!_"

Altheia gripped onto Bella's arm tightly before slowly sitting both her and Bella upright on the floor. Her knees wobbled dangerously as she stood. "I... I don't have anything to do with them," she managed to breathe out softly as she pulled Bella to stand as well. "As for the introduction... I apologize. It was rude of me. My name... is Altheia Beneventi." Altheia took one breath before bravely lifting her gaze from the marble floor to the direction of the thrones once again. She met the Aro's gaze bravely, however still unnerved by the blood red color of his irises. She let out a small breath as her gaze traveled from Aro, to Caius who sat in the middle, and then to Marcus. She froze.

_They aren't normal._ This much she could tell. _These men are dangerous. They could kill me._

Aro, much like Caius and Marcus, had a tall, regal, and attractive build, shrouded partially under thick, dark robes. He had long black hair, complexion so pale it was almost unbelievably translucent. His face was dangerously alluring, with curious eyes and an aristocratic nose, and pursed lips as if in deep consideration as he stared at her.

Caius, who stood from his throne just as Altheia noted his white hair was combed back to display his sharp, angled face, his lips pulled back as he shot her a look of distaste. Altheia stepped back in surprise when she blinked once and saw that in front of her suddenly was the third king, Marcus, whose brown hair waved past his broad shoulders. Unlike Caius' blatant display of dislike, Marcus' face looked kinder to her, softer, still regal, still seemed dangerous, and... knowing, but his expression was contorted in an odd fascination of sorts as he stared at her unblinkingly.

"Altheia... Beneventi…" Aro said softly, his gaze still dark. Altheia nodded once. "Brothers, we must not be remiss and treat our guest well..."

"Aro," Marcus suddenly called out, his voice deep and rough, echoing clearly. His arm was stretched out, palms facing upward to Aro's direction. Aro nodded slowly before descending the throne steps and taking his brother's hand. Altheia pushed Bella behind her as she saw Edward thrash against Demetri's hold in renewed effort.

When Aro dropped Marcus' hand, Altheia waited a few seconds before trying to speak. "I apologize if I-"

"May I ask where you are from... Altheia?" Aro interjected, voice lighter now but still dangerous, as his hands clasped together. His gaze was now totally fixated on her, brows furrowed in curiosity. "You say you do not come with them, and yet..."

"I am from Campania," Altheia says slowly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a nervous fidget. "I was returning home when... when I met Bella on the plane. And decided to help her find... find Edward," she gestured uneasily to Alice and Edward, who were restrained by the guards. "They haven't done anything, they didn't tell me anything about your operations here."

"'_Operations'_?" Aro echoed.

"Um... yes," Altheia said dumbly. "You are mafia...?"

Altheia blanched when she heard several snickers across the room. She hadn't realized that their group had attracted a diverse audience in the palatial balconies now, with uncloaked males and females watching curiously, silently, standing idly by the grand pillars of the room. With all their eyes on her, she felt her heart beat faster.

"Hmm... If you would please take my hand?" Aro requested, an amused glint now in his eyes.

Altheia looked to Alice. When Alice nodded, she took several steps towards Aro and raised her hand to him indifferently, slightly awkward. _Was this tradition for them? Take the kings' hands?_

Altheia gasped when Aro's hands held against her own. They were unbelievably cold, papery and delicate. For a moment, she thought he would suddenly pull her down and take her out with a gun. It would be that simple. . .

"Remarkable," Aro breathed as he returned her hand. She swallowed nervously as she noted on his sharp, white teeth. "Bella is not the only one to confound my gift after all..."

"Y.. Your gift?"

"Ah, of course... I will explain. But, first, simply out of curiosity, I hope you will forgive me just as Bella has... Jane?" Aro called out behind him.

"**NO!**" Edward roared as Jane smiled menacingly, flashing her fangs at Altheia who took the chance to run back to Bella. When Bella caught her staggering form, Altheia had turned back to the Kings, only to find them staring at her, brows furrowed.

Caius narrowed his eyes at Jane's disturbed form. Her twin appeared by her side and offered a nudge of comfort, but both their gazes trailed back to the humans again.

"Immune to Jane as well..." Marcus muttered. "Shields, perhaps?"

"What does this mean... hmmm..." Aro looked at Altheia thoughtfully before he and Marcus returned to their thrones silently. "Alice? If you could explain..."

"_Explain what__!_" Caius hissed furiously as Aro waived his hand for Felix and Demetri to release Alice and Edward, who returned to Bella at once. Alice squared her shoulders and fixed herself before carefully walking to Aro and offering her hand. "Surely seeing that they have endangered a human is proof enough to-"

"Patience, brother. No law is broken... yet," Marcus soothed, watching as Aro took Alice's hand in his own. "Fate is at play here."

"Fate?" Caius and Altheia echoed simultaneously. Marcus' eyes crinkled in amusement.

"Yes, brother," Marcus redirected his gaze back to the woman known as Altheia. "This young woman seems to have been destined to meet us."

"Oh, Alice, this is _wonderful!_" Altheia flinched when Aro had exclaimed from his seat, suddenly enthusiastic once again. His gaze towards Altheia was no longer sharp and dangerous. It was playful now, and it bothered her still. "To have brought us such companionship! At such a crucial time in our lives!"

"Aro… You _will_ meet her again." Alice said as she hurried back to Edward. "We will explain it to her before we leave," she promised.

"Of course, dear Alice!"

Altheia shook her head disbelievingly at Marcus. "I'm sorry, this doesn't make sense..."

"I would explain,_ signorina_ Beneventi, but alas, Heidi is here." Aro rose from his seat again, waving his arms in renewed joy. The grand wooden door behind them opened, to reveal a beautiful blonde woman - Heidi - dressed in a tight, seductive attire. She had brought with her a new group, tourists - twenty people or so - gawking at the opulence of the throne room. "My friends... My friends. I will see you all soon. For now my family must feed. I hope you understand!" Aro sighed.

Edward and Alice suddenly pulled at Bella and Altheia's wrists, dragging them to exit the room. Aro had dismissed the onslaught of Caius' tirade with a wave of the hand. As their group hurried away, Altheia cast a backwards glance to see Aro, Marcus, and Caius still looking at her with different expressions of amusement, interest, and frustration.

"My brothers and I will meet you again soon,_ signorina_ Beneventi," Aro called out lightheartedly, a knowing glint in his eyes. Altheia nodded nervously as she was pulled through the doorway.

"_Pi__acere,_" she managed to breathe out before the wooden doors closed once again. The last she saw was the glimpse of a satisfied smile on Aro's face.

And then she heard the screams.

* * *

_*_Translations for this chapter:

_signori_ \- gentlemen  
_signorina_ \- miss  
_piacere_ \- pleased to meet you

**Version 1/5/20**


	4. Chapter III: Penitence

**Chapter III: Penitence**

Bella and Altheia hadn't looked much at anything else but each other as the screams gradually faded, their brown eyes wide and both lips sealed into thin lines. They stayed silent for the most part.

After leaving the throne room, their group had been ushered back into the reception area, where Gianna had instructed Alice and Edward not to leave before nighttime and offered the waiting lobby couches for them to pass the time comfortably.

Gianna had placed two glasses of water and some biscuits, which Bella and Altheia consumed separately in silence. Edward had initially tried to get Bella to talk to him for a while, ignoring Bella's subtle cues for disinterest in conversation, until Bella put her foot down in annoyance, standing up, and placing herself beside Altheia at the opposite end of the gray couch.

"They need space, Edward," Alice said absentmindedly from beside him. Her eyes were glazed over again, as if in a trance. "It's called post-traumatic stress. You should read on it sometime."

Edward could see the vision Alice was currently following in her mind. The remaining members of the Olympic Coven, composed of Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper, would be settled into Hotel Etruria by past seven in the night, waiting for their arrival at the open carpark. Rosalie would be asking for Bella's forgiveness as soon as they got there. It seemed relatively vivid, decided, that Edward allowed himself to relax.

Edward left Alice's mind as she pulled out her phone and contacted Jasper to update their family. "...Yes, Jasper. Drive straight to Volterra and look for _Hotel Etruria…_ no, no, we're fine, honestly... Is Carlisle beside you?... Yes please... Hello, Carlisle? Could you stop by for clean sets of clothes for Bella and the girl... Medium... Yes, we'll see..." His gaze would drift back to Bella and Altheia, who now seemed to be in isolated discussion.

He frowned.

While Edward hadn't expected Bella to forgive him for leaving her, he hadn't really expected it to hurt for her to look at him as if she knew better than to give him another chance. She was alive, sure, but had it all truly been for the better? Obviously not. The very second he had a concrete experience of what it was like to have Bella leave him for good - Bella dying after jumping off a cliff in suicide - he lost it. Completely. Went straight to crazy town and begged to die. In light of this, he knew he wasn't capable of handling the responsibility, at all, much less the moral argument, of rationalizing why he left Bella in the first place.

How could he have left Bella, throw hurtful words in parting, in the middle of the damn forest with not so much as a backwards glance?

How could he assume culpability, when he didn't even know the right thing to do now?

He loved Bella, _loves_ Bella, he was sure of it. But did he deserve her after all this? What kind of monster would he be, to love her, leave her, and build her up again? At what point would it end? Was immortality really the issue, or was it all really just about him being unable to accept that he would have to doom Bella to stay with a person like him, forever, in the blasted name of love?

They needed to talk... but what would he say?

"'Bella, I'm sorry I left you and had you save my idiotic ass'?" Alice suddenly recited, matter-of-factly, her eyes glazed over again. Her eyes cleared a second later and she shrugged at Edward's grimace. "How does that sound to you? To me, it seems like a great line to start with."

Edward winced. "Alice, I'm sorry I put you through that."

"Ed, I love you, you know that," Alice patted his hand with her own impatiently. "But god-_damn_. Just look at Bella. No, Edward, _really look_ at Bella."

Edward took the chance to observe Bella as she started to whisper animatedly. She was trying to distract her newfound friend from the palpable tension in the room.

He noted that although Bella seemed well, she had obviously lost weight, from the newly-formed worry lines now marring the sides of her face and thinner stature, had deeper circles under her eyes, and was... actively avoiding him, now that she didn't need his protection from the Volturi.

In her mind, Alice projected her conversation with Charlie from the day before they left for New York. "Think about what_ happened_ to her back in Forks when we left. Hallucinations, starving herself, extreme sports, dependency issues... Forget the Volturi, Ed, you_ owe _Charlie your head on a platter_._"

To this, Edward could only agree sadly.

"I know, Alice. I was wrong. Trust me, I know," he couldn't help but observe Bella again as she started to talk about Italian literature in an obvious but successful attempt to soothe Altheia's dwindling anxiety. "It just doesn't even seem to matter that I really am sorry."

»»—- ❈ —-««

"So I'm _really_ sorry about today," Bella began again lightly, as if telling an inside joke. "But in the brighter side of things, you were able to celebrate the St Marcus parade in passing."

Altheia cracked out a half-smile in Bella's direction. "Barely."

"And you could probably guilt Edward into paying for your whole stay in the municipality for however long you want."

"That's true," Altheia agreed thoughtfully. "While you, _bella_ Bella, owe me...?"

"Whatever I can afford," Bella promised. She emptied all her pockets to display a worrying amount of... 18 American dollars. They both laughed. "No, seriously. We can bail and look for comfort ice cream when we get out of here. I happen to know that there are different gelato flavors, like _stracciatella, pesca, menta_..."

Altheia nodded thoughtfully again, as if contemplating the flavors, until she froze and suddenly brisk-walked to Gianna, leaving Bella dumbfounded on the couch.

"Excuse me, _signora_," she breathed nervously to the receptionist. "We won't have to drop out of a hole to leave the premises, will we?"

"Of course not, _signora_ Beneventi," Gianna replied politely, but with humor in her tone. "At nighttime, all visitors may come and go through the main entrance leading to the plaza mayor. The passages are reserved for daytime, you see, where their kind must maintain cover from curious eyes."

Bella overheard from her seat and started to laugh, for the first time in a long time, genuinely. She almost forgot that Altheia had acrophobia.

From the reception desk, Altheia whipped her head around to glare halfheartedly at Bella.

"I would do what any good friend would do for you, _bella_ Bella," Altheia said seriously. "But I will **_never_** jump down a fifty-foot hole again."

Bella didn't think she could laugh any harder, but she did. "God forbid you faint halfway again!" She wiped at the happy tears flowing from her eyes.

"_Ingrato bella_ Bella!"

»»—- ❈ —-««

Two hours, four gelato servings, and an awkwardly hovering vampire ex-boyfriend later, Bella and Altheia made it to Hotel Etruria with the help of Alice's stolen Porsche. As they alighted from the vehicle, Alice expressed her newfound love for the model.

"I'll get you one for Christmas," Edward promised.

"Oh, I know," Alice's eyes twinkled. "Yellow, and black interior."

Just as Bella walked past, intentionally ignoring them, Altheia fell into step beside Bella and headed to the hotel lobby.

"I should probably warn you... the rest of them are all really good-looking."

Altheia chuckled. "Thanks for the heads up this time."

"No proble- _oompffh!_"

Bella was cut off when she was engulfed and tackled into a bear hug by a black-haired burly man, who Bella later introduced as Emmett. Once she was finally let down, an attractive blonde approached her and offered her sincere apologies, before introducing herself to Altheia as Rosalie Cullen. Alice skipped straight past the welcoming committee to embrace Jasper, who was trying to level out the turmoil of emotions in their gathering.

Altheia straightened her posture when a man cleared his throat next to her. Instinctively, her hand shot out to pull Bella back to her side. Bella told her to relax, and introduced him as Carlisle Cullen, Edward's father, who apologized profusely for the commotion and danger that they had gone through to save his family. Esme, Edward's beautiful mother, would apologize as well, until Bella assured them that all was truly well now that Edward was safe. Edward had come forward at that time to embrace his family members one by one and offer his own apologies.

"I would _hate_ to be demanding," Altheia's voice suddenly called out to their group huddled in the ample lobby of Hotel Etruria. Immediately, all attention focused on her. "But I do believe I deserve an explanation."

"Of course," Carlisle responded immediately, guiding Bella and Altheia to the elevators himself. "Esme, could you get Edward settled into our suite please? Rosalie, if you could help her, thank you."

Alice and Jasper followed their group wordlessly as they carried Bella and Altheia's luggage. Bella would later realize that this was a side of Carlisle she had never really seen before, Carlisle the coven leader and sire, accepting culpability for Edward's actions.

"We'll stay outside, Carlisle," Jasper muttered after placing Altheia's bags in the room next to their beds. Carlisle nodded at Alice, who looked apologetic as she left the room.

After handing Bella the room key, Carlisle closed the door behind him and let the humans find comfortable seats on their respective beds before clearing his throat.

"I would apologize for my tactlessness in the future, _signora_ Beneventi, as you have not only saved my son but my entire family today. We are in your debt."

Altheia nodded slowly, bracing her knees to her chest.

"But there is no easy way to say this," Carlise said sadly. Altheia narrowed her eyes at Carlisle when he let out a pained breath and looked her directly in the eyes, startling her at how his eyes transformed from golden yellow to a shade of crimson. "We are vampires."

»»—- ❈ —-««

"We vampires have great strength and senses, cursed with immortality... and sometimes, the special ones have gifts, like my daughter, Alice, who sees glimpses of the future." Carlisle elaborated stoically. Altheia clamped her hands on her mouth to stop herself from screaming and bolting out of the room. "But my family _does not_ feed on humans," he amends quickly. "In fact, this is the reason that Edward and Bella were able to maintain their relationship before... before we left her in Forks."

"It's what ostracizes them in the vampire world," Bella explained softly. "Unlike the Volturi, the coven we met today, Carlisle's coven prides itself in their willingness to coexist with humans, refusing to harm them, treat them as prey, through discipline and restraint. They drink solely animal blood. They hunt in forests — elk, bears, mountain lions..."

Carlisle sighed. "But when Bella was wounded accidentally with a paper cut, it triggered Jasper's bloodlust. It was a lapse in my judgment to delay our hunting when we would be hosting Bella's birthday that night."

"They had... deserted me for a while when Alice came back to Forks to check on me after her vampire gift showed her that I had died. Edward... He, he _really_ did love me. Enough to leave me, I guess. He was overcome with grief and asked to be killed by the Volturi when he thought I died. The Volturi are basically the vampire rulers who had sworn to ensure the secrecy of vampire existence. We were racing against time to stop that." Bella's brows furrowed as she recounted the events. "When Alice and I met you on the plane, she saw a vision. With you in the equation, with us in Volterra, Edward would be saved, and no one would die."

Carlisle and Bella waited in silence and observed the only other person in the room.

"You're telling me... vampires are _real_." Altheia rasped slowly after a long while, but not nervously. "They _live_ with humans,_ prey_ on humans, and in special cases, be romantically _involved_ with humans." Altheia dropped her hands to the sides and clutched at the comforter. She could feel her temper rising. "And it _never_ occurred to you that Bella was a danger to your kind?" Bella flinched. "After all, as long as you _are_ vampires, one of you could _always_ slip and drain her dry. What would happen to your lifestyle then? Reduced to a principle founded on wishful thinking?"

Bella fidgeted nervously as Altheia reprimanded them - she hadn't really thought about it like that. She hadn't really realized that Jasper, who stood just outside the door, had felt morally liable for breaking his family apart because of a simple slip up.

"Or that your kind were _always_ a danger _to_ Bella and the humans you _wanted_ to _coexist_ with? That you _all_ could have killed all those people in Forks, given just the right trigger? That it just actually _isn't_ just _Jasper_ who could have slipped. Hell, it could have been _you_, Carlisle." Altheia's tone was mocking.

Carlisle winced. Bella started to whimper.

"You all decided that leaving Bella was for the better, only to bring her back into the mess when you needed her help to save Edward from his own _idiocy?_ Maybe throw in another human, too, it doesn't _matter_ if she is innocent, as long as her participation saves Edward? After all, _we never meant to hurt any human_, so it is all good, hmm?" Altheia's voice was sharper now, unwavering, and it bit fiercely at Carlisle's conscience.

"I am not sure which vampire lifestyle is better; I see no significant difference. Whether it is killing humans for sustenance, or claiming to coexist with humans but then using them to intervene on your behalf, you vampires will always _pride_ yourselves in your greater strength _and_ _revel_ in the premise that you will only always use humans as a means to an end. Your survival.

"I chose to help a young woman on a plane today," Altheia said as she pounded her fist in front of her, voice shaking. "She said her name was Bella, and that she just really, really wanted to save a man named Edward. I believed her because that woman seemed like she would never lie about being so desperate to save the man she loved. _So fucking what_ if that Edward turns out to be a vampire and the one that left her _alone_ in the first place? I was helping this woman because _it seemed that only I would_."

Bella started sobbing. Carlisle's hands clenched to a fist as he accepted the berating. This woman would have died for them all and she had not been wrong so far. "I chose to help her **not** because it was the only way to save your son.** Not** because she was hurting. In fact, I **don't care** that you are vampires! That, in your world, you have rules and principles and great immortality and powers and varying _lifestyles_ with _fickle_ foundation! I don't need your gratitude or your apologies!" She shouted in frustration. "I _care_ that, that when I walk out here tomorrow - if you'll even let me, now with this secret placing a target on my head - that sometime in the near future, a girl named Bella will be sobbing _again_, helplessly, to another stranger that _won't_ recognize the desperation in her face as well as I did!

"I don't even care that the Volturi might come for me in my sleep," Altheia argued bravely as she stood from the bed and walked slowly to Carlisle, who now weighed her words in serious admonishment. "I don't **care** that I wasted so much of my time and effort to save such an immature boy. I don't **care** that your family used me to save your son. Hell, I _don't even give one fuck_ that vampires I never even knew existed tested their powers on me today!" Carlisle flinched at the raw ferocity that sparked from the intensity of her gaze as she snarled at him. "But as long as I am_ alive_ and _human_, and the woman named _Bella_ is _hurt_ and confused and desperate and _helpless?_

"I expect nothing less than a lifetime of penitence from your kind."

Carlisle matched Altheia's gaze for a long time in silent contemplation. After a few minutes, Carlisle nodded.

"I'm glad you understood me, Carlisle Cullen."

Carlisle shook his head slowly as he headed for the door. "I cannot remember the last time I had been berated," he jested lightly. _What age did Alice say this woman was again? 28?_

"Maybe next morning we can argue about your principles," Altheia tilted her head to the left, gesturing to Bella who was sobbing uncontrollably onto her pillow. "But for tonight, Bella and I would appreciate some time to ourselves before delivering judgment."

Carlisle stiffened, whirling around as he stepped out the door. "Judgment? On what?"

"Whether or not she would like to stay with your kind, for one," Altheia shrugged as Jasper and Alice came into her view as they stood beside Carlisle, expressions contorted in a mixture of awe, guilt, and anger. It made her want to laugh. "Whether she forgives your family, or Edward, or hell, even _me_ for rudely speaking on her behalf."

Alice stepped forward. "If I could just talk to Bella for a mo-"

Altheia held up a hand immediately. "It's a free country, Alice, but in the end she will decide. You should let her."

The implication was clear - _The humans will decide for themselves_.

Carlisle let out a breath, resigned. He pulled Alice to him. "My family will hope for the better, _signora_ Beneventi."

"Don't we all?" she said wistfully, before watching the vampires leave as she bid them good night. As soon as their backs disappeared at the end of the hallway, she closed and locked the door. Not that it _really_ made a difference now that she knew vampires could just... flick it open. She shrugged.

She turned back to face Bella and was surprised to be tackled into a messy hug of snot and hair onto the carpeted floor. She patted the top of Bella's head as she sniffled.

"There, there, _bella_ Bella," she cooed. "Tomorrow we will explore Volterra and don't you worry about a thing."

"I'm not sure if I should love you or be scared by you," Bella mumbled against Altheia's chest.

Altheria hummed thoughtfully.

"It doesn't matter. I _guess_ I can always take you to a fifty-foot drop and watch you tremble..."

And then they both started laughing at the absurdity of it all.

In the end, they really were just humans.

»»—- ❈ —-««

Unbeknownst to all inhabitants of Hotel Etruria, two cloaked figures were listening silently, hidden in the shadows of the trees the entire time.

"This is my best assignment to date," The Kingsguard named Demetri whispered excitedly to his companion. "It doesn't even come _close_ to that one time with the Romanians. I can't wait to show Master Aro!"

Jane looked at him impassively and said nothing. Her gaze drifted to the window as the humans rose from the floor and started wiping their tears.

Jane now understood why the Masters had been so interested in the human named Altheia. Not only was she different - for a human - but she could imagine the likes of her matching the Masters in wit, ferocity, and power. Once, of course, the Masters made her immortal.

But that had a long way to go. . . .

* * *

*Translations for this chapter:

_ingrato -_ ungrateful_  
bella - _beautiful  
_stracciatella, pesca, menta - _chocolate chip vanilla, peaches, mint

**Version 1/5/2020**

A/N: I've been in a fiery mood lately and decided to pull an all-nighter with this one.

With this story, I hope you appreciate - just as much as I do - the power dynamic that exists between human and vampire, power and powerless, alone and protected. These will be recurring themes. I do appreciate discussions and further directions, so by all means, leave a review or a message and let's start dissecting the vampire culture.

All my love, Reveri.


	5. Chapter IV: The Gallery

**Chapter IV: The Gallery**

Bella awakened the next day a few minutes past noon. Her head throbbed and her eyelids felt swollen. She groaned.

"_Buongiorno_, _bella_ Bella," Bella lazily rolled over the bed and squinted her eyes at Altheia, who was drying her hair with a bath towel at the edge of her own bed. "Well technically it is afternoon, but you get my point. Also I ordered brunch."

"What time did you get up?" She grumbled as she sat up, her stomach rumbling at the mention of food. A folded set of clothes rested on the edge of her bed, consisting of dark slacks, a stylish blue chiffon blouse, undergarments and a pair of black sandals. "Is that supposed to be mine?"

"Give or take an hour," Altheia plopped herself down beside Bella unceremoniously. "And Alice dropped those off ten minutes ago."

Bella nodded sleepily. "_Hngh_… what's the agenda today?"

"What, you don't have any other vampire boyfriends in need of saving today?" Altheia asked jokingly. Bella sent her a halfhearted glare. "Well, I saw this poster at the lobby earlier... There's a pretty interesting gallery-slash-forum happening at Palazzo Viti tonight. Us humans-" Bella snorted. "-could pass the time and go there later if you're up to it."

Bella contemplated on it for a moment, noting on the Italian woman's hopeful tone. "What's it about?

"Reclusive Renaissance paintings and alabaster pieces," Altheia responded immediately, eyes bright. Bella pretended to be disinterested until Altheia continued, "and supposedly there's going to be a discussion on Dante Alghieri's _The Divine Comedy _at the main hall."

"I keep forgetting that you're a professor," Bella mumbled as she stood and headed for the bathroom. "And that you genuinely like museums."

"I _was_ a professor. I resigned," Altheia corrected. "And there's nothing wrong with liking museums, they're historically accurate and very educational," she added defensively. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Fine! I'll go with you later..." Bella closed the bathroom door and whispered to herself, "..._nerd_."

"Oh, and Bella?" Altheia called out indifferently.

"Mm-hmm?"

"Alice said to call your dad as soon as you can?" Bella froze, her hand on the faucet. "You can use my phone - it's on the table."

"_You should have started with that!_" Altheia grinned as she heard Bella pull the bathroom door open and lunge clumsily across the room in panic. "Charlie's going to _kill_ me! Ah, **_shit_**!_ I stubbed my tooooeee_!"

»»—- ❈ —-««

**PALAZZO VITI, FIVE HOURS LATER. . .**

Bella became suspicious of everything the moment the doorman took one look at her and her companion and immediately opened the door, not bothering to collect for their entrance dues. She still thanked the doorman when he handed her a program brochure though.

"Maybe it's a sponsored gallery tonight?"

"Yes, that would explain why the twenty people in front of us paid a hundred dollars each," Bella replied sarcastically.

Altheia had shrugged it off as she started to _ooh_ and _aah_ at the ornate displays of the palace foyer.

Her sandals echoed as she tried to match her companion's excited pace. Altheia seemed to be in her element tonight - she had donned a knee-length form-fitting burgundy dress ruched at the sleeves. Although it was V-neck, it showed modest cleavage. Her brown hair was pinned into a classic French twist. She had also done Bella's makeup before they left their suite. Bella had blushed profusely when Altheia remarked that they could "pass off as sisters."

"_A caval donato non si guarda in bocca_." Altheia tutted at Bella, index finger wiggling in disapproval. "Do not look a gift horse in the mouth. And who doesn't like free stuff?"

"One of these days I'm going to hit you with an American proverb," Bella grumbled. "You just wait."

Bella had been absentmindedly following Altheia through the first hour of the tour. But she quickly became tired and could only watch helplessly as Altheia hopped from one piece to another with renewed child-like enthusiasm. Although she could see the relevance, in the end it was all just a bunch of breakable glass to her. She had put her foot down when they passed the main hall, where she took a vacant seat and decided to let a forum on the modern criticism of _The Divine Comedy_ lull her to rest while Altheia was led away by a tour guide to the Renaissance wing.

"Lovely place, isn't it?" A voice suddenly greeted from her right. She took one glance, sighed, and decided to close her eyes again.

"Alice. I should have known."

"Not all of us lived in disgusting opulence during the last three centuries, mind you," the vampire said conversationally. "but the Volturi always take the cake."

"Yes, I know, I can remember their castle almost like it was yesterday..." Bella deadpanned. "Oh wait. It actually was."

"Now, Bella, that's not nice," Emmett suddenly appeared to her left. "She only meant that they actually own the place."

"They actually own...?" Bella's eyes snapped open. "The Volturi _own_ Palazzo Viti? But the guide said this was the private residence of the Viti heirs..."

"Um, yes..._ of the_ _Volturi_." Alice crossed her arms impatiently. "Was that not clear yet?"

"_Quiet down_," Rosalie's voice hissed from in front of them. "Some of us are _actually_ here for the program."

Bella didn't need Jasper to turn around for her to confirm that he was the blond sitting beside Rosalie. The rigid sitting posture was enough.

She sighed as she looked to Alice again. "How about you just tell me how this ends?"

"Of course. Excellent," Alice flashed her a smug grin. "You ditch us here and spend the whole night straightening things out with Edward. Who is, very _very_ coincidentally, waiting just outside the front door."

_Coincidentally my ass._ Bella blanched. Alice's gift was really not to be trifled with. _I really shouldn't..._

"And don't even worry about Altheia. She's going to be quite busy." Alice leaned back into her cushion seat and started picking at her nails. "Lots of... old things here tonight vying for her attention."

Maybe if she just closed her eyes and pretended they didn't exist, they would go away. . .

. . .

. .

.

"Hurry along now," Alice tapped at her wrist impatiently.

Bella _harrumph_ed as she stood from her seat defiantly. It was not to her advantage when she decided to kick at Emmett's foot as she scooted past him.

"Oww!"

Emmett laughed.

"_Shhhh!_"

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE RENAISSANCE EXHIBIT. . .**

Meanwhile, Altheia Beneventi had been left to her own devices by the tour guide after he unlocked a chain stanchion to permit her entry into the Renaissance wing. She had taken quite a number of excited steps into the hall when she instinctively slowed, realizing that the wing was quite sparse from tourists and museum staff. In fact, it now seemed that she was the only person in the area. She turned to call for the guide, but even he had oddly disappeared from the doorway. With a resolute nod, she decided to further the wing and marvel at the pieces by herself.

As she entered an adjacent room, she breathed a sigh of relief. A familiar couple stood in front of one of the paintings.

"Mr and Mrs Cullen," Altheia called out politely. "I was wondering when I would see you again."

Carlisle's head tilted, not quite expecting her friendliness, but smiled just as Esme did. "_Signora _Beneventi."

"Before we start with anything else, I just wanted to apologize." Altheia began, looking into Carlisle's eyes, expression genuinely apologetic. "Last night, I mocked your lifestyle and—"

"It's not an issue, dear," Esme interjected hurriedly, placing a cold hand on top of hers. "We owe you our family."

"No, it is, believe me," Esme was taken aback by the sincerity in her voice. "I realize now that, while problematic in application, your intentions as non-human drinkers are honorable. Inspiring. Bella told me that Carlisle serves as a surgeon. You teach out-of-school youth, Mrs Cullen, and all of your adoptive children give community services."

Esme and Carlisle waited, as it looked like the woman was formulating on what to say next.

"Co-existence between humans and vampires was probably unthinkable to most of your kind. But your family challenged the notion of murder simply because you knew killing was inherently wrong. I should have commended you for choosing what was right, instead of what was easy. What was nature."

"It's not honorable to my kind, what we do," Carlisle agreed, looking at his wife fondly. Esme squeezed his hand in a silent gesture of support. "To them we are depraving ourselves. Suffering for sheep. But we try to make them understand."

"It took the night to realize this, but…" There was soft fondness in Altheia's eyes. "I feel glad that goodness still exists in the world of vampires."

Carlisle stared speechlessly at the woman, his undead heart swelling with warmth. Esme looked like she would burst with tears any moment. "We are far from perfect. We have had accidents like Jasper's in the past, but sometimes... we can't help what we are."

"What we_ can_ help, we do." Carlisle said emotionally. "Being vampires should not make us compulsive murderers."

Altheia felt her eyes moistening too, but she stopped herself by huffing and sending a teasing look towards Esme. "I'm sure you'd adopt me too if I said I needed a family."

"Oh, my dear, come here, you _know_ I would!" Esme rejoiced, pulling the surprised woman into a motherly hug. Carlisle laughed. "Thank you for saving my family," she whispered into her ear.

"I didn't have a choice," Altheia supplied jokingly as she reciprocated the hug and pulled away. "But seriously. I'm sorry I offended you, Carlisle. Is there anything I can do?"

When Carlisle's demeanor changed and he nodded seriously, Altheia readied herself.

"What is it?"

"Esme and I have had a feeling since Edward's return," Carlisle began. "That it doesn't end here."

Carlisle and Esme started to lead her into a secluded area, voices low and whispering.

"Huh?"

"It may be too much to ask, but we feel it necessary," Esme's voice was sad. "We fear that the Kings may not be as forgiving as they seem."

Altheia stifffened, memories of the grand throne room resurfacing. She nodded. "And?"

"Should they take you and Bella, I have no doubt Edward will follow. Just... keep safe." Carlisle exhaled, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "What we know is that the Kings have an interest... to keep both of you. We've been warned by the guard not to interfere."

Altheia gulped. "Because I'm a 'shield'?"

Esme blinked twice. "Where did you hear that from?"

"Well, one of them... Marcus, I think. He said I was," she shrugged. "I understand that just as there are gifted vampires, there are gifted humans. Is that why they want me?"

"The Volturi are not what they seem," Carlisle's expression darkened. "They do not _want _humans. They want power."

"Just... please keep safe. Remember who you are. Whatever happens." Esme advised ominously just as her phone rang. It was Alice, reminding her adoptive parents that they had a reservation to catch.

"I hate to keep you," Altheia kissed at their cheeks, sharing a smile as they parted. "But Rosso paintings await me."

»»—- ❈ —-««

As Altheia walked through the next three corridors, she noticed that the pieces were now distantly placed one after the other. They had no tags, no dates, no explanations, no artist names - just marble statues and large paintings presented as is. Which was curious because they looked like signature pieces.

Her brows furrowed as she turned at the corner and bravely led herself to a dimly lit dead-end room, where one artwork sat peacefully on the middle wall, antique torchlights barely but beautifully providing illumination from the sides. Her heels tapped against the stone floor as she neared the painting. When her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she gasped.

"This is impossible," she breathed, her fingers covering her mouth. "How on earth..."

Her steps wavered as she walked even closer to the mural. She lifted a hand towards the piece but wisely stopped an inch from it. Instead, she followed the brushstrokes through the air with her index finger and she could almost feel tears forming. She startled when a baritone voice echoed from behind her.

"_School of Athens_ by Raphael. An iconic piece, yes. But not impossible."

Altheia placed a hand above her startled heart as she stepped away from the mural. Her eyes squinted at the figure emerging from the shadows. When the torch illuminated the face of Aro Volturi, who was now walking towards the mural, seemingly indifferent to her existence, her lips straightened into a thin line.

_That was fast._

"_Signore_ Volturi… _buonanotte_." Aro's head tilted very slightly to her direction in response, his attention wholly affixed onto Raphael's masterpiece. She shook her head at him as she gazed at the mural again. "No. Definitely not impossible. A reproduction then."

"_This?_ A replica?" Aro echoed passively as his red eyes devoured the detailing from edge to edge. "Surely even _your_ eyesight can discriminate between replica and original."

"Pope Julius II commissioned the _School of Athens_ from Raphael Sanzio for the Apostolic Palace," Altheia replied warily. "The true 'School of Athens' rests in the Vatican. Anywhere else in the world, it would be a copy."

"Hmm... I wouldn't be so sure. This here in Palazzo Viti tonight could be the original commission and the rest anywhere else replicas for the public," Aro drawled with a dangerous but playful tone as his gaze wandered from the painting to the human woman who stood bravely an arm's length from him. "Burgundy suits you, my dear."

"Thank you." Altheia replied automatically, subconsciously fidgeting with the shoulder ruffles of her dress. She blushed when she realized that he donned a burgundy-colored suit as well, although darker, but just as matte.

"No compliments for me?" Aro joked dryly as he stepped towards Altheia. "You won't like me when I'm offended."

"One might think you wore a blood-colored suit to avoid red stains for whatever it is you planned tonight," She laughed nervously as she took a matching step backwards. "I'll reserve my compliments for _friends_, thank you very much."

"And there you go, offending me right when I've warned you against it." Aro clucked his tongue disapprovingly at her. "I believe I have been friendly enough."

Altheia's eyes wandered for an escape route discreetly. Her lips pursed when she recognized cloaked guards now hindering the corner exit.

"Are you here to kill me?" Altheia breathed as the ancient vampire cornered her into a cold wall. "Or drain me?"

His red eyes gazed curiously at her before he suddenly slammed both his palms on the stone wall beside the woman's frame, effectively caging her. Altheia flinched.

"Hmm... I would be lying if I say I am not considering both," He murmured against her cheek. She clenched her jaw as the tip of his nose grazed her ear and dipped towards her neck. "But it would be... in bad taste."

Altheia chose to stare at the wisp of black hair behind his ear. Aro smelled like white musk and pomegranates.

"Bad taste?" she whispered, lips just below his ear.

Suddenly the vampire was a few good feet away from her again.

"Yes, because we are_ friends_." Aro emphasized. "And friends do not eat each other. _Do_ they, Marcus?"

"No, brother, they do not." Another vampire king answered as he walked into the room, the two guards parting silently to allow his entrance. Unlike Aro who wore a tailored suit and had his long hair tied back, Marcus simply wore a white dress shirt, with the first two buttons left open, tucked into gray slacks and allowed his brown hair to fall past his ears. His figure walked through the dim lighting before he settled in front of the mural, beside his brother. A bundle of cloak hung from one arm. "Good evening, _signora_ Beneventi. Have you settled into the city well?"

Altheia nodded dumbly.

Marcus looked oddly at her before shaking his head at his brother. "Has Aro made you unwelcome at our display tonight? You seem uneasy."

Altheia shook her head. "The gallery is wonderful. I simply should have known..."

"_Ah_, well," Marcus redirected his attention to the_ School of Athens_, momentarily brushing his hand against Aro's as he passed him. "Once every millennium, my brothers and I share with our friends our collections and artworks. I am glad you like them."

Aro looked pointedly at Altheia as Marcus uttered the word 'friends'. She couldn't help but let out a small smile.

"So, Palazzo Viti belongs to the Volturi?" Altheia pushed herself away from the wall and settled for the antique bench on the opposite side of the room. She massaged at her legs which had been walking for nearly three hours around the gallery.

"Sulpicia - of the Volturi - is a descendant of the Viti family. So in a way, yes." Marcus answered openly. "She owns most of what you gawked at at the main floors."

Altheia blushed. "I wasn't _gawking_."

Marcus eyed at her knowingly. "If you say so."

"You and Caius would get along well," Aro mused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You are much like him when presented with an artifact. We went to Canaan once, brother, do you remember..." Altheia's face blanched at the mention of the third king. "...and even sunlight could not deter him."

"I've never been there," Altheia admitted shyly, and then more cautiously, "Is... Is your other brother here?"

"Ah yes, Caius Volturi, famously referred to as the Other Brother," Aro remarked lightheartedly, sending a playful wink in the brunette's direction. Marcus chuckled. "I suppose you would not appreciate his presence here, and fortunately enough for you he retired earlier than usual tonight."

Altheia nodded slightly before letting the tense silence loom over the room. The cloaked guards blocking the exit hadn't moved, so she assumed she still wasn't allowed to go anywhere.

"_Am_ I fortunate tonight?" she wondered as she watched Marcus Volturi turn from observing the painting to finally facing her fully. "Two vampires. Kings. Trapped at a dead end. You'd think I had the worst luck in the world."

"Quite fortunate, as we are here to offer a proposition, instead of _pena di morte._" Aro replied dryly.

Altheia immediately straightened in her seat but chose to stay silent.

"You see, it is our best interest that neither you nor Isabella Swan disclose our secrets, and should therefore remain in protective custody of the Volturi."

"...I'm not sure the Cullens would agree." Marcus' eyes narrowed slightly as woman crossed a leg over the other, nonplussed. "While Bella has the advantage of a family in America that would look for her should you abduct us, it remains that Bella and I broke no law. You said that yourself."

"Let me make this clear, _signorina_. Isabella Swan will be changed by the Cullens. That is her true advantage over you. This is why we will let her run back to her little human world, should she choose it."

"Ah, of course. My mistake." Altheia closed her eyes, suddenly thoughtful. _As long as Bella's safe..._

"Which is why I have a proposition for you." The mischievous tone in Aro's voice was back. "The Cullens have spoken for Isabella Swan. But _you_..."

"Aro," Marcus warned in a low voice as he surveyed his brother pace in front of the bench occupied by the human.

"If it is modern day slavery I don't want it." Altheia preempted with a straight face.

"Of course not." Aro grinned, clasping his hands together. "How would you like to be the Volturi scholar?"

The woman blinked. Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" she gnashed her teeth as she said this, perfectly aware that outright discourtesy could get her neck snapped like a toothpick.

"The Volturi possess even more than Palazzo Viti," Aro baited. "Our _bibliotheke_ could not be rivaled by any collection maintained by mortals. The earliest papyrus, cave arts, ancient politics and mythologies, and writings preserved since your human idols last argued for them. Socrates. Aristotle. Kant. Diogenes."

Altheia shook her head, unsure of how to act. "I don't understand."

"Artistry as taught by Caius, Philosophy as taught by Marcus, and Sciences as taught by myself. The School of Athens," Aro tilted his head in reference to the mural that now loomed over their figures in the dim light. He took a seat beside the woman. "Alethiology in Volterra, if you will."

"...No, I meant, you're offering this to me _as a human_?" Altheia was confused. "Because I have already criticized the Cullens for this way of thinking. With you vampires... the dynamic will always be dangerous. Luring me with the prospect of unthinkable knowledge is commendable," Altheia chuckled. "But ultimately... being a free human is what _makes_ me, _signori_. And I have no interest in being locked in a library for the rest of my life. Or being your food when you're done with me. And I happen to like being alive," she added defensively.

"Haven't we established that we are friends here? And that we are not here to kill you?" Aro looked affronted at the notion. "Your wishes are respected. You will be free to travel, but accompanied by a guard. You will... simply be a student to the three kings. We will teach you and in return you will serve in Volterra. You will not be harmed. And most importantly," Aro ticked off the conditions animatedly using his fingers. "You will remain human until you no longer choose to be."

"Ah, so _that_ is your endgame!" Altheia's eyes widened in realization, her tone slightly accusatory. "You want me to become your _courtesan!_"

Marcus raised a delicate brow to Aro's direction, who now looked slightly uncomfortable. "That's... not..."

"Are you lonely, _signore_ Volturi? Is that what this is about?" Altheia smiled genuinely at the suited king, delivering the innuendo smoothly. "Because if you wanted me to be your _friend_, all you need to do was ask nicely."

Aro startled slightly when the human woman placed her hand atop his. The expression on her face was warm, comfortable, teasing - and suddenly he wanted the ability to read her mind at that exact moment. But her mind was still shrouded from him. Marcus' eyes widened between them.

"I will be under your tutelage and protection," Altheia agreed, locking eyes with Marcus briefly as she held Aro's hands. "Initially, I wanted to pursue a post-doctorate upon returning to Naples... but you are right. Nothing could possibly compare to what the Volturi could teach me." Altheia suddenly remembered she was holding the hand of The Ancient Vampire King and released it immediately. "I _am_ grateful. But have you _really_ thought this through, _professori_?"

"I had no participation in the making of this whatsoever," Marcus drawled as he turned away from the pair. He started to walk towards the exit. "Do not turn to me when Caius rages of this... absurdity."

Marcus heard the woman giggle for the first time. He shook his head at Aro in mock disappointment. "See, brother? There is no fear left in this human. You've tainted our reputation!"

"Brother Marcus, wait... The scholarship has much to do with young Alice's vision! Not- _certainly not-_"

"You've done it this time, Aro. A _cortigiana_!"

"I... meant... _no_... A _courtier_, maybe..."

"What do I even call you three?"

"That wasn't what I..."

"Master? My King? My _liege?!_"

"Marcus, _brother,_ wait!"

Marcus chuckled to himself as Jane and Alec parted, allowing exit as he passed through the doorway. He ignored Aro's halfhearted cries as he trudged past the Viti corridors. When he had first met the human Altheia Beneventi, his gift allowed him to observe the unique bond connecting him and his brothers to the Italian woman. They were thin, almost translucent. Young. Unique. Promising. But_ now..._

He donned the Volturi cloak as he exited the building.

Now... It seemed fate was still at play. The cords between his brothers and her were thickening. Pulling at each other. Growing from simple touch. Morphing vaguely into golden bonds that could be likened to...

Marcus stopped in his tracks abruptly.

_Likened to what, Marcus?_ He could hear Didyme's voice in his head, taunting him. _What did the bond look like to you?_

"Nothing," he murmured dismissively, guiltily, dispelling the image of Didyme from his mind as he blended into the crowd. "Nothing at all."

* * *

*Translations for this chapter:

_buongiorno - _good morning  
_buonanotte_ \- good night  
_pena di morte_ \- denath sentence / capital punishment  
_signorina_ \- young lady (unmarried)  
_signori - _gentlemen  
_bibliotheke_ (biblioteca) - greek for library  
_cortigiana - _courtesan (a woman who attends to the ruling class through entertainment and companionship in exchange for status. may imply sexual nature.)  
_alethiology_ \- study of truth  
_courtier_ \- almost like courtesan (an escort to kings/queens/high profile clients) but less sexual in nature of companionship

**Version 1/5/2020**

* * *

**Post Chapter Discussion**

We are finally getting somewhere, people! So - yes, that is The Thing™ with this fic. It's about the power dynamic between vampires and humans, mortal and immortal, etc. And yes, while this is an A/M/C/OC fic please don't mistake this for baseless smut (I'm looking at _you_, anonymous e-mailer! Grrrr!)... if it takes me twenty chapters to make them fall in love (and in bed!) with each other you better believe you'll be sitting on your bum for those twenty chapters patiently. Because over anything, I want you guys to say, "Huh, that makes sense" when it all falls into place. And anyway, didn't the notion of Edward and Bella being true mates come up somewhere at Eclipse, and even then people were so doubtful because of what happened back in New Moon (and that Team Jacob Black was a thing, or did y'all just choose to forget that)? So please please please believe in me when I try my own way of making Altheia, Aro, Marcus, and Caius come through the way I see in my head. But other than that, feel free to message me! Just... no nitpicking please... It's hard enough when I critic my own outputs.

BUT STILL! For everyone who read and reviewed and messaged! I am super duper thankful for all the support you've sent my way - it feels unbelievable. I would send you all Carlisles if I had 100 of him. Every day I read your reviews and messages and I can't help but bawl like a baby. You know who you are. Still sending all my love to y'all.

Lastly! I just wanted more people to know that there actually is an FF phone app, where you can download a million fics and read them offline. And read them at work. In the bathroom. During your commute. Before you sleep. There's nightmode and whatever else setting you need for font sizes etc etc. And you can manage your docs and stories there too! Just spreading some wisdom for users still stuck in their laptops at night is all. Just in case some still don't know. Hugs!


	6. Chapter V: Consequences

To koppfi, LifeLoveLoki, leward1992, and Jessenia22 — my cherished reviewers. Thank you for always leaving encouraging words since the beginning of AIV. Sometimes I feel like I am obligated to update this story as soon as possible for you. As far as anyone is concerned, Altheia and Bella could have died in the throne room if I wanted to end it then. So everyone else reading this has you four to thank! And to everyone else who left a review at a point, even those who did anonymously (which btw frustrates me because I can't thank you personally!), from the bottom of my heart, thank you. You all don't know what a review means to authors who are starting out.

As always, with all my love,  
Reveri.

* * *

**Chapter V: Consequences**

Bella emerged from the doors of Palazzo Viti, not once glancing at the brooding Edward Cullen as she rushed past him onto the streets.

"Bella, wait—" Edward called out, barely rushing to match her pace. "Bella, stop. Could you just listen to me—"

Bella bristled, turning harshly to swat at the cold hand that pulled at her forearm. "_Listen_ to you? _Why_?"

"Bella, I love you." Edward said so earnestly that it churned Bella's stomach. "I was wrong. But what I did— I thought that was best. We both knew I was a danger to you, Bella. It was just a matter of time."

"And it still _is_, Edward!" Bella's gaze hardened. "_You_ listen to _me_. You're still a _vampire_. You could _still_ kill me. And honestly! It doesn't even seem to matter whether you love me or not, because what you did... that was for you. You did that by yourself. _You_ _chose_ to leave for yourself."

"Bella, there's nothing I can do to take back what I did. I hurt you. But I had to give you a chance at a normal, happy lif—"

Bella hadn't even let him finish his sentence. She rolled her eyes as soon as he started moping and turned away to walk towards a secluded restaurant two streets over.

Edward could only sigh and follow after her.

"Table for two?" the waitress asked as they entered. Bella nodded.

"The one by the window looks great." She said to the waitress before turning to Edward with a blank face. "You're paying."

Edward sighed again.

"Of course."

»»—- ❈ —-««

As they were sat across each other, tense silence consumed in between the clinking of metal utensils against porcelain.

_This would be a complete contrast to that time in Seattle_, Bella decided. Reminiscing hurt, but she could remember how she had hung on his every word, desperate for the truth of what he was. She had been so intrigued by him. Dazzled. He had been so_ different_ from everything she knew. Even without his warning, she knew Edward was dangerous the moment she saw him — and _what a stupid lamb_ she was.

Even after knowing the truth, she chose to focus on the snippets of humanity that peeked in between. Instead, she chose to marvel at the little moments that showed more of _Edward_ than of the predator.

It was so _easy, _you see.

Like how peculiar and sarcastic his sense of humor could be. It didn't take much for him to make her laugh. How he could act so young sometimes. And Edward liked to hum. He always opened the door for her. His favorite color was brown. He would argue against melodrama in the same breath that he'd claimed to deserve suffering the curse of immortality alone. _Edward._

Ironic and melodramatic and romantic and loving Edward.

Him enjoying playing the piano. Him composing her a lullaby. Waking up to see him reading Brontë beside her.

It didn't even take a month for her to fall in love with _who_ he was... that it didn't matter _what_ he was.

_Her_ Edward.

But that felt like so long ago.

Now, every time Edward would open his mouth and attempt to defend himself, Bella would immediately raise a finger to his face to shush him and then use it to point to her food.

"I'm still eating," she would deadpan.

But the truth was she was lost in her memories. She couldn't speak yet. All the words were jumbled in her mouth. Her brain was frothing with the memories she had tried to vomit months before.

There was a part of her that refused to believe Edward was really here. In front of her.

_Here. Now._

Because that meant holding him liable. For the pain... For answers. For what needed to be done.

For what comes next.

_Her Edward._

»»—- ❈ —-««

When she did finish eating, she dabbed around her mouth slowly with a napkin before putting it down and looking pointedly at Edward, which he took as a cue to start his case.

But Edward shook his head. "No."

"No?" Bella raised a brow.

"No," Edward repeated, a knowing look in his eyes. "I get it."

"Do you?" Bella's answering tone was patronizing, like she was talking to a child. "Do you _really_, Edward?"

"Yes, Bella, I get it." Edward cleared his throat. "We are where we are because I chose it on my own. I shouldn't have made that decision."

"And choices have consequences," Bella agreed. "Like. For example, I've become so detached to the stunt you pulled that my instinct is to get away from you. That even though I know, deep in my heart—" Bella's voice wavered. "—you did all those things because you loved me. Enough to leave me... To protect me in your own way. And that _hurts_ but I've accepted that."

"Bella—"

"No, listen. I _wish_ you could read my mind. I do! I do, I wish you could. Just so I could show you what it was remotely _like_ for me. What I had to do. To start thinking again. To try laughing again. To— to trust again."

Bella paused, clearing her throat as tears threatened to spill.

"But all before that, Edward, I chose to love you. '_When the lion fell in love with the lamb,_'" Bella quoted to herself mockingly. "I did. I chose to _love_ you. Even when you left me. Even now, Edward, even when you're sitting there like_ I'm_ the one who's bringing this on _us_. Like you're the _victim_, because god— I know I love you, because if I didn't, I wouldn't even be here trying to _understand_ _why_ you did _what_ you did to me.

"...But I love you enough to stay," Bella said after a moment, as if she was angry with herself. "That's the difference between us, Edward. I'm _here_ to stay. I'm_ still_ _here_ to stay. But there are consequences. Just like with everything else. _I've_ changed. Things _have_ to at least... to make this work, we have to try." Bella's voice broke.

"Just because I still love you doesn't mean I should be willing to lose myself again." Bella harshly wiped her tears away. "It was so painful, Edward… I can't even look at you without remembering what… what you said to me that night."

Edward listened as he watched Bella's face transform from hurt to frustration to conviction. He clenched his jaw, his mind instinctively telling him to be stubborn, because _damn it, I'm not wrong_ but he fought through it as he thought about what Bella really meant to tell him.

"...Alright." Edward agreed slowly after a period of silence. "...We'll try."

Bella's pursed her lips before exhaling sharply. "I just... I just had to get that out there, Edward."

"I know. I had to know." Edward agreed as he appraised her slowly.

He frowned as he realized she was blinking rapidly to prevent herself from crying.

"I feel like I don't deserve you. I know I don't," Edward admitted to himself. Bella let out another shaky breath. "And whatever it is you want to do, fine. Let's talk about it. What do _you_ want to do?"

After another moment of silence, Bella said, "I choose to stay."

"Yes, I understood that—"

"No—Edward," Bella huffed as she looked down, fidgeting with the ends of her hair. "I choose to stay here. In Italy."

"..._what?_"

"You don't know what it's like. To be hurt. And then to be free out here," Bella's eyes wandered from the surroundings of the small but homely Italian restaurant. Warm tones of brown and beige and soothing chatter filled the place. She let herself relax. "To meet new people. To discover who I am without... any of this," she gestured lamely between them.

Edward's eyes narrowed. "Is this about Altheia?"

"Edward, this _isn't_ about her," Bella wrung her hands in frustration. "Out here... it's different. _I_ have a chance. It's not Forks. It's not Phoenix."

Bella ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm not the girl her parents or the Cullens left behind anymore."

Edward frowned.

"And yes, Edward, I _have_ thought about this, don't even imply that I haven't," she warned him with an index finger. "I choose to stay here. And anyway, I've wanted to leave Forks ever since. . ." she trailed off, shrugging.

"Ever since we left," Edward finished weakly as he leaned back into his seat, defeated.

Bella propped an elbow on the table and placed her chin on a palm as she gazed out the window. Her gaze briefly flitted past him and then back to the outside.

"Choices have consequences." Edward muttered as he gazed at the woman in front of him, his voice low and tired.

_Bella has changed._

"Choices have consequences..." Bella agreed in a murmur, her eyes averted from him but hopeful.

_His Bella._

Her gaze never strayed once from the outside view of the Volterran nightlife.

"...and this is me choosing me."

»»—- ❈ —-««

Aro Volturi — accompanied by his guards — and Altheia Beneventi emerged from Palazzo Viti just as Edward and Bella returned to the palace steps.

Bella's eyes widened as she registered that the Italian woman was comfortably conversing with the vampire king that wanted them both dead.

Well, not really _dead _per se. _Un_dead.

She swirled back to glare at Edward accusingly, "Did Alice see _all_ this was going to happen tonight?"

Edward had the right mind to try and look sheepish.

"Bella, I was looking all over for you! We should be getting back," Altheia called out, recognizing Bella's raised voice as she descended the steps. "Oh! Edward?"

"Yes, the Cullens were invited to the Gallery as well," Aro intoned, eyeing at Bella's wary disposition to him as she settled on Altheia's opposite side.

"Yes. Um. Edward and I... talked," Bella whispered to Altheia as she nervously shielded herself from the gaze of the Volturi. "Which, by the way, I have to tell you about—"

"_Signore _Aro and I talked as well," Altheia replied, nudging Bella excitedly. "Well—"

"—I'm staying in Volterra."

"—I'm staying here!"

The two humans blinked at each other before bursting out in rambunctious laughter.

Aro's eyes widened. His hand reached out to Edward, who begrudgingly placed his in.

"To study?"

"Yes! To study!"

After a moment, Aro released his hold and clasped his hands together in joyous delight.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" Aro's voice was ecstatic.

Edward blanched as he looked on to the two brunettes chattering excitedly.

"Volterra welcomes its new scholars!"

»»—- ❈ —-««

**HOTEL ETRURIA. THE DAY AFTER. . . **

"So how did Charlie take the news?"

"Not well," Bella replied honestly as she plopped herself down beside Altheia on the hotel bed. She had just finished what was a four-and-a-half-hour-long phone call with her father. "He's going to call again after talking to Renee. I think he wants to stay with me for a while before saying anything about it. And he wants to meet you."

Altheia shrugged. "Most parents wouldn't even allow a freshman university student like you to study abroad just like that, Bella."

"The thing about Charlie is... he doesn't hover," Bella tucked herself into the blanket, suddenly feeling tired. "Granted, he's very concerned about me. With the rollercoaster my life has been. But it helped that I was just honest about everything. Well, _almost_ everything." Bella joked dryly, resting her head on a pillow.

"Charlie sounds like a cool dad," Altheia remarked. "So you just... told him?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking University of Pisa. But we'll have to see. At the very least, I've got half a year to prepare things."

"Lucky you," Altheia huffed. _"Signore _Volturi expects me to be settled in by mid-April."

"I don't think that's too bad," Bella ran her palms through the softness of the comforter. "I hope they don't mind that I'm tagging along until Charlie gets here."

Altheia hummed as she lazed on the bed.

Time lapsed for a while until Altheia nudged Bella with a foot.

"Hey," The Italian scholar murmured gently as Bella turned to face her, their noses almost touching. "I'm proud of you. You know that, right?"

Bella's gaze softened. "I know it feels like I'm rushing into things but... it doesn't feel wrong. You know?" she let out a small, nervous smile.

Altheia hummed thoughtfully as they laid side by side in comfortable silence.

"I think that sometimes we decide what's right."

Bella closed her eyes and smiled softly.

_Right._

* * *

**Version 1/5/2020**

**Post Chapter Discussion**

K so I've always felt that people never really took Bella (and her emotions seriously). That's why I gave her this chapter (and this plot development). It's also why I'm (probably) Team Bella. I mean, this girl loved everyone else and found simple joys in reading classics and sunlight and warmth and no one really ever saw her as her own person. Tbh even the readers. It was all about gorgeous Edward and gorgeous Cullens and immortality and that was frustrating. So I wish more authors took the impact the break up had on Bella more seriously (I'm looking at u Smeyer ahahah) and that HUMANITY vs IMMORTALITY is a THIIIINNNGGG sjdashkj

And yea since this is a fanfic I just thought the timeline and story would make sense if Twilight started during her last year of high school. So that we wouldn't be romanticizing underage love stories. And wouldn't it have been more interesting to see everyone taking college courses? The very thought of Edward taking a class in Psychology makes me cackle

Alsooo yea the next chapters are gonna be about becoming a Volturi soooo I'm not gonna lie it's going to take a while. And good things come to those who wait, maybe...?

Thanks for always keeping up with me! Leave a message so we can talk about the story! xx


	7. Chapter VI Part I: A Nobody in Volterra

**Chapter VI - I: A Nobody in Volterra**

**Part I**

**THE NORTHERN CHAMBERS, VOLTERRA CASTLE. . .**

A granite boulder crashed onto the chamber wall, barely missing the doorways. Chunks of stone broke upon impact and the booming crash that followed echoed through the lower corridors of the castle, startling the servants attending to the wing.

Aro paused from exiting the chambers, a brow twitching. "Cease with the dramatics, Caius," Aro said in a cautionary tone. "I will not tolerate this a second time."

_"Have you lost your **mind**?"_ The ivory-haired king's voice seethed, dripping with fury. "You have _humiliated_ us the first time they walked free, and now you expect us to _school_ humans? _What has Volterra become?_"

"Think of it as amassing power," Aro suggested with a wave of a hand.

"Then turn the human and get it over with!" Caius snarled. His burning gaze turned to the other royal draped on a chesterfield sofa on the far side of the room, disinterested as ever. "And _you!_ Millennia of being the castle sloth, only to emerge as a deviant! You should be _ashamed_!"

Marcus shrugged. "I anticipate the joys to come from teaching, that is all."

"'_Joys'_?" Caius' head was throbbing, and his hands were itching for necks to wring. "We have burnt friends and family for less – the law of secrecy applies just as strictly to us!"

Marcus looked pointedly in Aro's direction. That _was_ true.

Aro sighed before leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms. "Perhaps it is time to discuss the visions young Alice has seen of Altheia's immortality?" Marcus rose slowly from the chesterfield couch and walked towards the doorway. "The moment Altheia Beneventi stepped into Volterra, her fate was sealed."

"That _psychic_ has been the bane of my life," Caius muttered disdainfully. "And there you go again with Fate. _Nonsense_!"

"As I have to confess, my brothers," Marcus murmured, an arm reaching out to Aro as he passed the boulder Caius had hurled in rage. "My intentions aren't exactly pure..."

Caius' brows furrowed together as his brothers held hands in silence. As the reading ended, Marcus looked almost guilty but Aro's face betrayed nothing. Aro remained unusually quiet for a time.

"If I were to convince you, brother," Aro started to say to Caius slowly after the pause. "That accepting a student meant having a companion, would you agree?"

Caius was taken aback by the unexpected turn of inquiry but clenched his jaw stubbornly as Aro advanced towards him. He sent a glare towards Marcus' direction. "In case my brothers have conveniently forgotten, Athenodora exists."

"And yet," Aro blinked owlishly as he stopped just in front of Caius. "You are more desolate than you have ever been."

Caius opened his mouth to retort, but stepped back, surprised and defensive when Aro lifted his hands to him.

"Come on then, brother," Aro taunted, both palms were offered up to Caius. "Take a hand and prove me wrong."

Both brothers stared each other down silently before Caius folded, his lips curled in distaste. His brothers never forced his judgment, but he knew when he was outnumbered. And most importantly, he always knew when Aro was scheming.

He avoided Aro's hands, sidestepping him. "Take a pet should you like," he hissed low as he passed his brothers. "But becoming a student of mine must be earned." Caius paused when he reached doorway, leveling Aro with a glare. "You have always been a schemer, Aro. But there will be no more compromises. The law is the law."

"Of course, Caius." Aro acquiesced softly. "I will turn the human myself at your slightest inconvenience."

"Then why not just...?" Caius' brows furrowed in frustration.

"As I said, the future shows promi-"

"Ah forget it! That nonsense again!" Caius grumbled in annoyance as he marched out of the chambers before Aro could finish his sentence.

"A human in a castle of vampires, what could possibly go wrong?" Marcus snarked as he passed the doorways, following Caius' exit. "I wonder what it is you have planned in that mind of yours..."

Aro huffed and chose to remain in the chamber, this time lounging himself on the chesterfield sofa as he waited for Heidi's return.

Barely a quarter of the hour had passed since the start of their argument and it ended as soon as it began. He had expected more revulsion and rage from Caius, but he knew better than to rest it on luck that Caius withdrew quickly from debating the matter further.

Ever since that little woman's arrival, the air in Volterra became… unsettling. Not just to him, but his brothers as well. Caius' agitation had tested even his own patience as of late. Marcus, who had barely raised his voice in the past decade, was restless enough to be scouring Volterra grounds for his own meals. He knew something was changing. He knew it, and his mind couldn't resist it. Why else would he have orchestrated anything less than securing the Volturi Kings' newest fascination? But more than that, he wanted to understand why there was a dangerous curiosity that always seemed to follow the Cullen _congrega_ and their human pets. A quick observation of the two humans showed that they had a common lack of fear and self-preservation with a strong sense of redemption. A truly dangerous combination. He would have ordered them dead if it weren't for the promise of their immortality.

_I-sa-bella_ _and Ale-thei-a. _Precious human oddities.

Their fear wasn't from death, no, but from something beyond it. Isabella feared losing her sense of self rooted in the ones she loved. A very human thing to keep. Very foolish. For what Altheia feared he couldn't pinpoint yet as there weren't many minds to read to criticize her by. He simply needed more time to scrutinize that woman. Ultimately, both were immensely gifted and had no concrete loyalties yet_,_ if Marcus' gift was to be believed.

What ever was a power magnate like him to do? There was simply no other option.

Aro's mouth began to pool with venom just by remembering the scent of the Italian woman the night before. Closing his eyes, he could reimagine the mixture of sweat and cotton and that little tinge of sweet nectarine. A warm room never really hid the scent of blood and fear twined together.

What curious - _delicious -_ things these newcomers were.

He shuddered. Heidi should be arriving with a feast soon... would he be satiated?

Aro frowned. Probably not. Not since the air in Volterra had changed.

In the quiet darkness of the chambers, Aro was alone. For the first time in a long time, he felt uncertain... but not powerless. No, definitely not. Although he _had_ thrown Caius into a corner he had barely wanted to acknowledge himself.

What Marcus had revealed to him earlier were unexpected, but undoubtedly real.

_The bonds are young and imperfect_, Marcus had warned through his thoughts.

Marcus' memories of the night before replayed into his mind like a hazy recording. In the hidden galleries of Palazzo Viti, he stood alongside the woman and his brother. The exhibit had been illuminated by torch flames, but their faces were unreadable. He allowed a little banter of cat and mouse before finally offering the woman a place in his castle. Marcus attended simply to witness his latest curiosity, but in his surprise, luminescent bonds almost like harp strings unveiled slowly from their forms and crept towards the woman as the night progressed. Bonds were entwining into each other upon contact, with muted hues of silver diffusing through...

_But the reality is these bonds exist. What they may mean for us is unknowable now..._

Aro closed his eyes as he sifted through Marcus' thoughts.

_Aro... I always wondered what immortality was for without Didyme._

Aro's eyes snapped open. History and fate always came back with a vengeance for him. And the thought of his dead sister always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

When he had obtained Caius' indulgence almost too easily, a churning feeling began to disturb Aro, rising inch by inch from his insides. Everything was going his way for now. The chess pieces were still predictable. He could barely restrain the twitching in his fingers now that his brothers had left the room to him. A sputtered sound of merriment escaped from his mouth, and next thing he knew, he was laughing uncontrollably in the darkness, arms clutching at his sides.

_Aro, had you not been wondering as well? Why we never had what others seemed to find so effortlessly?_

_Were you never jealous?_

Aro's laughter did not stop.

_Aro, we are monsters._

The Italian woman smelled so _good_ the air in Volterra became lacking.

_But are we finally worthy?_

Absolutely delicious.

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE HIGH TOWER, VOLTERRA CASTLE. . .**

_"A scholar?" A soft, feminine voice flowed across the room. "Is that what Aro likes to call his playthings these days?"_

_"Athenodora!" A chiming voice scolded mildly. "I do believe you could do with some company in the library."_

_"That is true," Athenodora agreed as she rose from the red cabriole sofa, pacing the room thoughtfully. Her index finger tapped lightly against her lip. "And young Edward will stay in the castle with his singer?"_

_"Who is also still human," Sulpicia confirmed, whispering conspiratorially. "I wonder what my king has planned. You know his games never end well," she said nervously, a hand darting out to pull at Athenodora's skirt. Athenodora stopped her pacing and sat beside Sulpicia again. "...I have a _bad_ feeling, _sorella_."_

_"Perhaps... she is an interest for Marcus?" Athenodora suggested weakly. "An entertainment."_

_"_Ah_, you've felt it as well, haven't you?" Sulpicia smiled sadly, gaze following her toes that traced the gold trimmings of the rough, emerald-threaded carpet. "The pull between you and Caius is weakening too, isn't it?"_

_Athenodora's hand paused from comforting her sister. She looked away before swallowing thickly. "It has not been as strong as before," she admitted._

_"Sometimes I wonder," Sulpicia's tone was low, almost guilty. "What Didyme would say if she were still..."_

_The queens sat in silence, one just as hesitant in comforting the other._

_A knock sounded through the door._

_"You may enter, Corin." Sulpicia rose, her greeting hopeful. "Have the kings called us for court?"_

_"The masters request the ladies' presence immediately," Corin affirmed. "Additions to the castle shall be introduced today."_

_Athenodora stood, too fast and too stiff. "Of course. Sulpicia and I will follow shortly." Her tone was clipped._

_Suplicia sent the messenger a tight-lipped smile. "Thank you, Corin."_

_As the queensguard exited and footsteps disappeared from hearing range, Athenodora turned to send her sister a menacing look. "We must prepare,_ sorella._ You know what will become of us."_

_Sulpicia sighed and lowered herself onto the cabriole couch again. She held her sister's gaze for a moment before distracting herself with her red-painted toes, retracing the gold trimmings of the carpet. Her slender hands started to feel at the embroidered couch, fingertips tracing the hemmings of royal blue silk._

_She would miss being queen, but... it was very lonely lately._

_A small mischievous smile formed from her lips. "I think Didyme would have told us not to give them the pleasure of a quick good-bye."_

_"Sulpicia…"_

_The queens shared a dark, meaningful glance._

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE THRONE ROOM, VOLTERRA CASTLE. EARLY APRIL MORNING. . .**

_"Benvenuto,_ young friends! Welcome back to Volterra!"

Aro rose from his throne as the visiting coven walked through the doors. Caius and Marcus remained seated. Aro descended from the steps and embraced the coven leader briefly. "Carlisle, _buon fratello,_ it has been such a long time! What has taken so long for your visit?"

"Aro, Caius, Marcus. I must admit I have been remiss," Carlisle paid respect to each king before he returned to Esme's side. "But I bring my family today. Both in greeting and, as I understand, invitation as well."

Aro was obviously delighted. "With all your children! Isabella, too! What an occasion!"

"They are obviously here to send off their spawns," Caius drawled. His eyes zoned in on the only vampire-human pairing in the room. "Young Edward, since I am informed you will be staying, I must remind you that improper decorum warrants decapitation, yes?"

Edward nodded stiffly. "I will abide, Master Caius."

Caius said nothing as he regarded Edward. Instead, he rose from his throne to lead the Olympic coven to the drawing room, where the queens and the castleguard awaited introduction. Caius' expression turned sour when he realized his brothers had not led alongside him immediately and instead diverted their attention to the so-called human scholar at the end of the group.

"Caius." Carlisle greeted amicably as he fell into step beside him. "How are you, old friend?"

Caius glanced sideways at his friend and former court advisor from a long time ago, before noting that his eyes were still the same shade of the sun. "Hn. Still sane despite your choice of diet, Carlisle?"

Carlisle shook his head before letting out a soft chuckle. "I see time has not moved for you."

Caius frowned. He didn't seem to like what that meant.

When they reached the entryway, he cleared his throat before opening the doors and speaking. "Carlisle and coven, you must remember my wife, Athenodora, and our sister Sulpicia..."

»»—- ❈ —-««

Meanwhile, situated at the end of the group, Altheia allowed Aro to kiss her hand, but looked at him oddly when he held on for a moment longer.

"Just checking," Aro almost sighed. "You and Isabella remain quiet to me, it seems."

"I already told you, _signore_," Altheia's eyes crinkled as she grinned at him. "Anything you want to know, you only have to ask for."

Aro regarded her silently, almost fondly, before turning his attention to Marcus, who was standing beside him.

"_Signore _Marcus, thank you for allowing me to stay as well." Altheia bowed. "And for letting me use the main entrance."

Marcus hummed. "Hmm, how could I not? Young Felix said you refused to leave your accommodations without assurance."

"Erm... yes." The woman flushed under his gaze, embarrassed. Marcus noted that her eyes were warily darting to the ivory-haired king at the forefront. "He doesn't approve of this, does he?" she whispered nervously.

Aro sighed. "My brother, despite appearances, does enjoy seeing old friends."

"But I am not an old friend," Altheia replied, biting her lip.

Marcus looked away. "You are here to learn. Becoming family will come naturally."

"That is true," Altheia consoled herself. "How difficult could it be? I am still in Italy after all."

He and Aro said nothing before ushering her to the front.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"Carlisle and coven, you must remember my wife, Athenodora, and our sister, Sulpicia." Caius introduced as his brothers made their way to his side. At the center of the room were the queens, distinguished by their black cloaks lined with intricate emerald markings, seated on an antique sofa. Standing behind them were the Royal Guard, grey cloaks draped on their statures, creating a stark contrast against the white pearl and smoke marble-accented drawing room.

Athenodora Volturi was a tall, slender woman with fair hair. Like the rest of her coven, her red eyes contrasted against powdery skin. Her face displayed no obvious softness despite her femininity. She looked perpetually displeased with her calculating gaze, her small pointed nose, and her thin, unsmiling lips. With her demeanor, it was no surprise to the usual audience that the woman was compatible with her husband of choice.

Unlike her coven sister, Sulpicia was the epitome of beautiful warmth and softness. She was a medium-sized woman having a small, kind face, framed by long, dark brown hair that draped past her chest in waves. Her eyes, although red, were warm and attentive. Her full lips were ready to curve at the slightest joke.

"I am happy to see you after so long, Carlisle, Esme," Sulpicia was first to rise and speak. "It is a shame you will not be staying with your children, but the castle is happy to receive them all the same."

Athenodora rose slightly to reach for Esme. "It has been _too_ long, _caro._"

"Oh _sorelle. _I return with many stories for you both," Esme said softly as she stepped forward to kiss at their cheeks. "But I should introduce to you my children first. You must call me at once should they give you trouble," the Olympic coven matriarch smiled as she gestured to them one by one. "You must remember Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward. But it is Alice and Jasper who are new to the family."

Sulpicia beckoned Rosalie to her. "_Bellisima. _Please tell us you will be staying as well?"

Rosalie's eyes widened, slightly panicked. Emmett laughed at the expression on his mate's face. She shot him a look before replying, "Sorry, no, um. Edward, Bella, and Altheia will be the ones staying."

Sulpicia displayed a friendly smile as she turned her head to meet the three in question. Her gaze found Edward standing protectively beside the two new faces. She blinked, slightly surprised, as her red eyes discerned between them. "Hello," she said in a welcoming voice. "You must be Bella and Altheia."

"Yes, I'm Bella Swan." Bella said lamely as fidgeted with herself, unsure of whether she would need to bow. "Please take care of me."

Altheia met Sulpicia's gaze before bowing. "My name is Altheia Beneventi. Thank you for receiving us."

"You've returned so soon?" Athenodora's voice chimed out as she regarded them slowly. "It is very curious to us that you have chosen to… reside in our castle. Not many humans willingly do so because of the, ah, obvious concerns. Not that we mind," Caius' wife added.

Bella bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. "Volterra is beautiful," Bella said honestly after a moment. "So I guess that's why I didn't want to leave Italy."

Sulpicia let out an amused laugh before gesturing between Bella and Altheia. "It is also curious to me that you are not sisters. Both of you… smell similar."

Bella and Altheia straightened as they shared a wide-eyed look.

"It's probably the lotion, soap, and shampoo," Bella said decidedly.

Altheia nodded sagely. "We shared toiletries the whole week."

The room burst into snickers and chuckling. Carlisle coughed, hiding a laugh behind a fist.

"I apologize. I meant to say that your, ah, blood. They smell similar. Both of you look similar as well," Sulpicia's teasing smile was bright. "I'm happy to receive the both of you."

"As am I," Athenodora held their gazes seriously. "However, before we get ahead of ourselves, you must be oriented on castle rules. We do not want accidents happening, do we?" Athenodora gestured behind her to introduce each of the Kingsguard. "Our most dependable, such as Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri, Renata, and Santiago serve the Kings and the coven. Should anything be amiss, approach them at once."

"On the other hand, only the most _beautiful_ serve the Queens," Sulpicia said with a soft, teasing smile at the Queensguard. "Their names are Corin, Heidi, Chelsea, Afton, and Mele. At the event of any disturbance, follow their orders. They are responsible for securing the castle and its subjects at all times."

"Now," Aro interjected with a clap. "It is to my understanding that while Altheia will stay with us indefinitely, dear Isabella will stay only until the academic year at _Universita di Pisa_ starts."

Sulpicia's head tilted slightly. "I see. Miss Swan will stay for at least half a year?"

Aro smiled. "Yes. And so. Throughout the duration of your stays, understand that you are not allowed to leave the palace without a King's permission and a guard. This is for your own well-being."

Aro had been looking at them unblinkingly, when they realized he was waiting for a reaction. Bella and Altheia nodded once, slowly.

"In any event, you must not disrespect, antagonize, or disobey your superiors here," Carlisle's voice rung out seriously. Aro smiled at his former _amicus curiae_. "It is the very hierarchy of the Volturi, of _Volterra, _that has protected it for so long. Deem it with respect."

Again, Bella and Altheia nodded once.

"Perhaps there is no need for talk of disciplinary sanctions," Aro said this merrily, hands held together in front of him. "Edward made a display of our practices perfectly clear, yes?"

"Yes, Aro," Edward said simply. "Death."

Bella and Altheia looked to Edward in horror.

Heidi's voice had an underlying taunt. "Additionally, _should you prefer,_ keep to your rooms on noontime of Sundays. The throne room will be occupied." Her smile was dangerous.

Bella's face scrunched up. _Why would the throne room be occupied?_

Seeing the look of confusion on Bella's face, Altheia reached for her and whispered. "That's when tourists arrive... _remember_?"

Bella gulped. _Oh._

An unsettling silence overtook them for a second, before a guard chuckled under his breath. The tension in the room eased.

"Anyhow, Gianna prepared a map for your convenience," Heidi supplied two files from her cloak and handed them over. "Your quarters may be located at the third floor of the West Wing."

"You will serve Volterra as you stay," Athenodora reminded them in a cold voice. "Obviously, we do not welcome strays into the castle just so."

"We have had no competent secretary since Valentina, you see," Sulpicia's tone was sad, but Bella thought that was just for show. "So _Isabella_, Gianna will meet with you today, after you have settled. You understand?"

Bella nodded again. Edward cleared his throat.

Sulpicia seemed thoughtful as she turned to look at him. "I'm sure Edward will be around to help Isabella, but I can only imagine that the Kings have some _favors_ for you."

Edward looked pained.

"As for _signora_ Beneventi," Athenodora said finally. "It is the Kings' discretion as to where you will be permitted in the castle. But as the Volturi scholar," The term seemed odd coming from her. "I believe you will find yourself most in the library, which has been neglected as of recently and is direly in need of upkeep…"

"By recently, the Queen means a century or so," Felix's eyes almost sparkled as he smiled innocently at Altheia. She blanched in response. "Good luck with that."

"It is the most opportune moment to say," Aro held the attention of the room. "That while our young friends will follow these conditions strictly, any misdemeanor from any vampire to their person will be considered a misdemeanor against me."

Carlisle and Esme sent him a grateful look. Alice's eyes glazed for a moment, before she nodded and smiled genuinely. "Please take care of them, Aro," Alice's voice chimed. "You won't regret it."

"We're not sure about that just yet, eh, Jazz?" Emmett's laughter was unrestrained as he elbowed Jasper repeatedly. Rosalie sighed.

"Bella, a _secretary_?" Jasper's expression had been contorted in disbelief since early on. "How many papercuts will it take before we lock her in an empty room?"

_"Hey!"_

»»—- ❈ —-««

The rest of the Cullens left shortly after the meeting, but not before Esme reminded the trio to behave themselves. Her maternal gaze stayed longest on her eldest son.

"I'm not ten, mom," Edward said, exasperated. "We'll be fine."

"If only you didn't act like one," Rosalie said under her breath. Edward shot her a glare.

"Don't have too much fun without me, Alice," Bella gave the small pixie a hug before letting go. "And please watch over Charlie for the meantime."

Alice sent her a wide smile. "Of course, Bella. Do you want a tip?"

"What tip?"

"Call dibs on the left quarters of the third floor."

"Okay?"

Edward coughed into his fist.

»»—- ❈ —-««

According to Gianna's instruction, the castle was distributed relatively simple. A person would enter either through the southern wing coming from the Volterra plaza mayor, or from the underground tunnels using the elevator. The north wing housed the masters (their private chambers and studies). The East Wing belonged to the Guards _and should never be visited without invitation. _The west wing was basically everyone's, but more welcoming to humans, as it included the kitchens, dining hall, baths, helpers' dormitories, the entry to the gardens, function halls, and a prayer room (which is unsurprisingly the least used room of all, or so Gianna says). Central to these areas are the lobby and corridors leading to the throne room. Edward later clarifies to Bella that the queens live separately from the castle, as they are housed in the towers for their own protection. Bella crinkles her nose at the archaic practice.

"This place is too beautiful," Altheia marvels breathlessly at the ornate interiors leading to the west wing as they pass by. The windows are stretched tall and made of stained glass. Sunlight would pass through the stained glass and mimic the interiors of a basilica.

Gianna hummed. "It is less so in the evening. Should any of you hear… noises… in the night, I advise that you simply walk away."

Bella and Altheia shared a look behind Gianna's back.

When they reached the third floor, Altheia chose the moderately-sized room to the right of the stairs. It had a bare queen bed, an antique roll-top desk, and two windows overlooking the gardens. Basic dressers and a floor-length mirror could be found just outsider her own comfort room, so she figured that she really didn't need anything else.

Bella noted that the left quarters were considerably more spacious and allowed a four-poster bed. Bella had stomped her feet when she discovered that the room she had chosen had a connecting door to the adjacent one. Which was Edward's room.

_Goddamnit Alice._

»»—- ❈ —-««

The day had mellowed into the night when Altheia was called to the northern chambers. Alec waited outside her room as she sorted through her things, before escorting her wordlessly through the dark corridors. He promptly left the Italian blank-faced when they arrived at their destination.

The chambers were dark and only had light coming from one feeble torch. Altheia braced herself when she saw that only Caius was in the room. They stared at each other in silence, before Altheia lowered herself into a bow.

"Master Caius."

"I will not teach you." The king said flatly. Altheia's head snapped up. "You have shown me no promise."

Altheia looked down again, pursing her lips. "Is it because I'm human?"

Caius sneered at her. "It is because you are not worthy."

Altheia shivered from the coldness of the room. She bowed again. "I will endeavor to please you. Please keep an open mind, master Caius."

An annoyed brow rose at her response. "How brazen. I did not take you for a fool."

"It's not about being brave," Altheia said as she shook her head softly, eyes meeting his but quickly looking away. "I know my worth, _signore_."

"You are _worth_ nothing. A nobody," Caius bit in an unforgiving voice. "In the end, it is only your blood that my brothers want."

Altheia tilted her head at him as she chewed her lip nervously. "Would you like to test me?"

Caius frowned. Nothing about this woman was impressive. She was nervous, weak, and shivering before him. She was grasping at the miniscule chance she had.

"Test you." He repeated flatly. The woman nodded once.

Silence consumed the two before he rose from his seat to make his way in front of her. The woman stilled as he lifted a cold finger to trace the soft expanse of her neck. Altheia shivered again.

"I do not care for what my brothers see in you," he murmured, nail scraping at the veins embossed from under her skin. "but to me you are worth no more than a month. So you will have that time and the resources of the castle to prove your worth to me."

Altheia's eyes narrowed.

"In a month's time, you must come to me and tell me the name of the first vampire and how he was born," Caius' eyes fixated on the rushing blood under her skin. "Or I will remove your pretty little head myself."

Altheia stepped back, brown eyes blown wide in fear. The threat was real.

"Do you really think Aro can protect you?" Caius sneered at her. "You confound his gift, true. But to me…" the vampire's hand suddenly found itself wrapped around her neck tightly. Her body was lifted from the ground and her legs struggled. "…you are nobody."

Altheia's hands tried to pry at the fingers that choked her. In less than a minute, her vision started to dim. The last she saw were parting red lips revealing long fangs before all faded to black.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"Must I remind you that human women are fragile?" Marcus drawled at him as he scooped an unconscious human into his arms. "Aro will not appreciate this. He promised her protection."

Caius pretended not to hear anything from behind the executive desk.

"I am awarding you my lenience this once. But I must warn you, Caius… Should you place one more bruise on her body," the dark threat in Marcus' voice made him pause and to turn to face his brother. "You will lose a brother."

"Is she that important to you?" Caius snarled as he rose to meet Marcus' stature.

"No." Marcus laid a hand on his shoulder as he passed him by. "To all of us."

Marcus left him in the doorway, seething and confused. Caius' gaze darkened as he watched as their figures disappear from the corridor.

"Alec," he snarled. The guard revealed himself from the shadows of the room. "Call for Heidi. Tell her to bring no less than ten."

Alec bowed before disappearing.

»»—- ❈ —-««

A crash reverberated through the dark night. Screams erupted but shortly disappeared into cold silence.

Caius stood in the midst of bloodless corpses, the edges of his mouth dripping slightly with red liquid. His eyes flashed dangerously in the dark.

"_I've killed twenty and drained them dry, Aro_," the ivory-haired king cried. Aro stood in the dark corner of the throne room, arms crossed over his chest, his mouth cemented into a straight line. "_But the thirst remainsss_!"

Aro looked disdainfully at his brother. "Caius, you do not thirst. You know this."

Caius snarled, marching to his brother in rage. "Not thirst? _I know you feel the same!_" he accused with a finger.

"Then you should also know there is only one reason." Aro levelled his brother with a dark glare.

"How can you stand it," the king's voice mellowed into desperation. "It makes me feel weak."

"Her blood is different to us," Aro agreed. "But it is all the more precious."

"…you must let me _taste_…"

"Restrain yourself, brother," Aro urged. "There is more to her Fate than a corpse by our feet."

"Ah." Caius' eyes were now downcast and his tone suddenly soft. "You should have _smelled _her then, heard her choke," Caius muttered, almost with devotion, as he took the cloak Aro offered with a hand. It only took a second of contact to display Caius' memory as he relished on the expression on the Italian woman's face as she fought for air and lost consciousness not too long after. Aro's red eyes flashed dangerously in silent anger. "Her heart _fleeew_, Aro, and then descended… She lost herself so _quickly_," Aro hissed at him in warning. "If what Marcus says is true, Aro… If I should believe you," Caius' eyes flashed to meet his. "Then Fate must be a sadist."

* * *

_*_Translations for this chapter:

_congrega -_ coven  
_sorella,_ sorelle - sister, sisters  
_benvenuto - _welcome  
_buon fratello - _good brother  
_caro - _dear  
_bellisima - _beautiful  
_amicus curiae - _friend of the court; someone who is not part of the court but is allowed to offer his opinion

End of Chapter VI Part I

* * *

A/N: I had to cut this chapter into two because ((it was getting too long and I hadn't even breached the main topic yet)).

Who do you think the first vampire was? How was he born?

Do you think the kings deserve a mate?

The goal of Part I is to remind the reader that vampires shouldn't be romanticized so quickly. While they look absolutely dashing in the movies, Aro and Caius would kill anyone for fun, selfish reasons, or no reason at all. I think people conveniently forget about that. Not that I blame them.

Part II as soon as someone inspires me to finish it. Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter VI Part II: A Nobody in Volterra

**Chapter VI - II: A Nobody in Volterra**

**Part II**

The next day, Altheia awakens slowly. She begins to stir when morning light filters through the chiffon curtains and onto her face. She pushes herself upright and groans as strained neck muscles remind her of memories from the night before. _Fangs. Blood eyes. _Memories she would have rather forgotten.

_I will remove your pretty little head myself._

Eyes widening, her hand shoots up to curve around her neck. Her heart begins to beat faster. With a painful swallow, she rises from the bed and heads to the mirror. Staring back at her was a woman she didn't recognize.

She always knew she lived a privileged life. She was used to seeing herself happy. Content. Eager. Smiling. But the reflection staring back at her now – bloodshot eyes, cracked lips, and sickly pale skin… the undeniable plum and violet striation marks on her neck…

Water starts to pool around her eyes.

She blinks away rapidly from her reflection, grabs a bath towel from the dresser, and hurries to bathe in emotional turmoil. The soap doesn't wash the feeling away. The bruising on her neck remains after. She rummages through her clothes in her undergarments and throws on a black turtleneck and jeans. She takes a leather jacket and wraps it snuggly around her for good measure. _For warmth. _Her hands are shaking when they find the map and even more as she leaves her room.

She almost runs to the library.

_There's no time to waste._

* * *

_Thirty days left._

* * *

Bella's first day is going fine, she thinks. She woke up early so had enough time for breakfast and a peaceful bath. Alice's preparedness came with an entire clothing collection waiting for her in her luggage. She arrives at Gianna's desk with minutes to spare.

It's going great so far.

"_Buongiorno_, Isabella. _Spero che tu abbia preso l'italiano elementare a scuola_," Gianna starts, handing her an Italian language book. Bella's face falls. "_Dopo aver memorizzato i capitoli da uno a cinque, torna qui in modo che io possa insegnarti come programmare gli eventi nel calendario_."

"She said, 'I hope you took elementary Italian in school,'" Edward's voice startles her as he appears on the couch behind her. "'After you memorize chapters one to five, come back here so I can teach you how to schedule events into the calendar.'" Edward flashes her an innocent smile.

"_Qualsiasi domanda?_" Gianna has a patronizing smile as she looks at Bella.

Bella grits her teeth together and turns to Edward again.

"'Any questions?" Edward translates dutifully, a slightly smug expression on his face.

"No questions, _thank you._" Bella manages to say through her teeth as she marches off to the library. Edward chuckles, following after her.

She gets to the library without Edwards help because _I_ _can read a map just fine, thanks_. She takes a seat and notices that Altheia is already there, at the far end, immersed and preoccupied with library catalogues and inventory listings. Bella takes a moment to survey her surroundings.

The library is beautiful. Endless shelves stocked with hardbound books arranged exactly how she dreamt a vintage biblioteca would be like. Floors were polished rose and grey marble. There were staircases, antique bookstands, and journal racks arranged near the tall glass windows. The unfamiliarity of her surroundings finally dawns on her.

_This isn't Phoenix, _she thinks_._

_I'm not in Forks._

Her mood begins to brighten considerably. She takes out Gianna's prescribed book, _The Italian Language Series. _It's thick, a complete edition, and makes her head want to explode after the first chapter. Still, she keeps on reading.

_It's a fresh start._

»»—- ❈ —-««

A WEEK LATER. . .

"I would ask how you're holding up, but I'm thinking just as well as Bella," Edward greets casually as he slides into a seat beside the dining table.

"Her Italian is… acceptable for a beginner." Altheia pauses mid-sip from her morning coffee, bags under her eyes. Edward chuckles to himself. "Is she not sleeping too?"

"No… there are some nightmares still," Edward admits slowly, running a hand through his bronze hair. "I'm giving her the space she needs. Alice told me."

"I see…" She takes a sip. "The coffee is good here."

Edward counted five seconds in his head before going, "So how's the search for the first vampire coming along?"

Altheia all but slams the coffee cup onto the table, eyes closed and cheeks puffing up in rage. "Why you gotta ruin my morning like this, Edward?" He shrugs. "I'm just trying to have a cup of coffee. I haven't slept well since I got here. What do you want?" She exhales then pinches the bridge of her nose. "And how did you even find out?"

"Just asking a question," Edward raised his hands in mock innocence. "Alice told me."

"What's Edward done now?" Bella enters the dining hall, hair still wet from her morning bath.

"I just asked a question," Edward muttered defensively. He seemed genuinely harmless.

"On?" Altheia sighed and kept silent as Bella fixed up some coffee and buttered bread. "Maybe we could help."

"I didn't tell you because I don't think you're allowed to… _help_…." Altheia crossed her arms on the table to rest her head on. "Caius has this sort of, _initiation_ _riddle thing_ that if I don't answer it correctly, _hedecapitatesme._"

Bella almost spits out her coffee. "_What?_"

"Mm-hmm," Altheia's shoulder shakes in self-pitying laughter. "_'Who's the first vampire? How was he born?'_ I have a month, _noooo_, three weeks left… Yup. Good-bye."

Bella shakes her head in disbelief. Her gaze lands on Edward. "Do _you_ know?"

Altheia perks up. Edward immediately shakes his head. "That's the thing. Aro, Caius, and Marcus. They're the eldest vampires, according to Carlisle's knowledge, you see. And unlike the, _werewolves,_" Edward manages mangle the word. "Vampires don't exactly have tribal legends."

"There are _werewolves? _What are they like?" Altheia's entire face brightens up in wonder for a second, but then her head lowers to the table again. "Doesn't matter. Dying in a couple weeks."

"Maybe it's in the library, you know? Since it's probably some unknown legend." Bella ponders, taking a sip of coffee. Edward nodded in agreement.

"That's what I'm trying to do, but it took me four days to even understand how the books are catalogued." Altheia's voice comes out in rapid mumbles. ''There are books on legends, but it's mostly on mythological heroes anyone would have learned in school. Perseus and the like. And I even tried the whole biblical story on Cain, on how vampirism was punishment from God for murdering Abel and lying about it, but like. It's the _bible. _Who even believes that anymore. It's not that simple, right? It couldn't be."

"I'm sure the library is your best bet. I'll help you after my shifts end." Altheia was going to argue, but Bella shushed her. "It literally can't be anywhere else."

* * *

_Twenty-three days left._

* * *

It was probably literally anywhere else.

"I told you," Altheia said morosely after their third day of renewed effort in scouring the shelves of the enormous library. Two of the study tables hosted stacks of leather-bound books on Greek heroes, biblical figures, Egyptian lore, Asian tales, and other unsuccessful leads.

"Yeah, maybe it's not in the books," Bella finally admits, collapsing into a padded chair next to Edward and Altheia, who had her head in her hands. She shrugs nonchalantly and suggests, "Maybe it's in the glyphs?"

Edward and Altheia look at her oddly. "Glyphs." Altheia repeated dumbly.

"As in… glyphs?" Edward echoed blankly.

"I think, yeah, that's what they're called, aren't they?" Bella points to the ornate wooden door of the library. The trio stand and head towards the double doors.

Sure enough, glyphs were etched – very, very minutely – on the thick, wooden doors of the library. At a passing glance, the glyphs were well hidden in the dark color of the wood, faded and undiscernible, but Edward could see them easily enough. He was already dutifully copying the carved characters onto the pages of Altheia's leather notebook, amazed himself.

"_Oh mio dio,_ _Bella _Bella_! Sei un vero toccasana!_" Altheia squealed in happiness, hugging Bella and jumping up and down. "How did you even _know_ these are glyphs! Let alone find them!"

"Eheh, just noticed them last night…" She mumbled sheepishly. She wasn't going to tell them she tripped and fell face first onto the door on her way out yesterday. "Might be worth a try, right?"

"Let me just look for a reference book while Edward copies that. After this we'll call it a day," Altheia almost bounces back to the catalogue. "You just sit and rest, you beautiful girl. I'm cooking tonight!"

Edward laughs at that, and Bella's face heats up. "Right…"

* * *

_Twenty days left._

* * *

Demetri visits the library every three days or so. He wasn't ordered to, he just liked to watch the human as she read through books at an inhuman speed. It's hilarious for him, and a little bit endearing. Jane thinks he's an idiot, but she doesn't see the human go through an entire shelf like a squirrel on crack as he does, for fun, regularly. . .

He is not surprised to find Altheia Beneventi hidden behind a cave of books in the corner of the room. She talks to herself as she scribbles. He is used to it by now.

He approaches with loud steps. "_Ragazza._ What has preoccupied you now?"

He is taken aback, however, when she slams the book closed, parchment held in her fist. "Demetri. Hello. Great timing. I really need your help."

A smile takes over his face. _Finally._

"_Si. One time only. _If it's fun."

»»—- ❈ —-««

Altheia gathers Edward, Bella, and Demetri at the southern doors, the main entrance to the castle. Edward is calm enough around Demetri, and Bella is fondly reminded of Jake by his behavior, that they are able to patiently and peacefully wait for an explanation as the Italian woman paced all around the foyer.

"The glyphs are some hybrid cuneiform style inscriptions – not just alphabet-style letters and numbers, but characters too." Altheia tells Edward. "Took me a week, but basically it was the layout of the Volterra Castle."

"So a map."

"Not just a map," Altheia tutted. "A treasure map. It divides the castle into four: North, East, West, and South. But more than that, it gives a definite number on how many plaques there are _per wing. _Three in the north wing, eight in the east wing, ten in the west, and one in the south."

"Plaques." Demetri repeated.

"Yes."

"Like commemorative plaques?" Bella's head tilted. "Like the ones outside historical sites."

"Yes yes. Demetri is helping me this once, today. So let's not waste any more time, yes?" Altheia squares her shoulders. "Today we search the west wing."

"But why gather us here?" Bella groaned. "Now we have to walk all the way back."

"Well first, I needed to prove that I was understanding the glyphs correctly." Altheia's eyes were tired, but bright with resolve. She pointed to the door frame of the southern wing entrance, almost eight meters above them. Their gazes follow. "Behold: the only plaque in the south wing."

And there it was, again, a hidden inscription. This time, words were no longer cuneiform on wood, but in ancient latin on an aged copper plaque, embossed in faded gold paint. Bella has to stand on her toes and squint her eyes to read it. Edward shakes his head in disbelief.

Demetri's smile widens.

**_primum illic sanguisuga_**

"_Primum illic sanguisuga,"_ Altheia sings happily as she marches off to the west wing. "_Primum illic sanguisugaaaa~_"

Bella was both amazed and slightly confused as they trailed after the singing Italian. "What does it mean?" she whispered to Edward.

"Well—"

But Altheia heard her just fine. The Italian stopped in her tracks and gave them an excited smile as she turned back to them.

"It literally means: _the first bloodsucker lives here!_"

* * *

Twelve days left.

* * *

THREE DAYS LATER. . .

"What in the hell…?" Alec asks incredulously as he watches the human woman tail after Jane in the lobby. He takes a seat beside Heidi on one of the black lobby couches. "Is that…?"

"Yup, she's been bothering Jane since last night. Poor Jane can't do her rounds in peace," Heidi murmurs as she flipped through National Geographic. "Apparently, the humans can't enter the east wing without invitation from a guard."

Alec shuddered. "And she's decided on _Jane, _of all guards?"

Heidi giggled. "Tell me about it."

They jump when Aro's voice speaks from behind them.

"Any idea why, children?"

"No, master," They immediately stand to bow, a fist on their chest.

"I see. How curious," Aro shrugs and begins to walk away, returning to the direction of the throne room. "It would be _such a_ _shame_ if Jane were to overhear that offering assistance on whatever the case may be would be rewarded with her very own cellular iPhone…" Aro clucked his tongue as he left the lobby. "Such a shame indeed…"

Even though Jane was almost ten yards away, she heard Aro's words clear as day.

Jane abruptly stops in her tracks, making the scholar bump into her. As Jane turned to face Altheia, there was an eye-blindingly accomodating smile on the usually stoic guard's face. Alec almost choked.

"Plaques in the east wing, you say?"

* * *

_Nine days left._

* * *

On the morning of the twenty-second day, Altheia chose to wander the castle grounds instead of going to the library. She needed some air and had a problem to ponder on: she couldn't get into the north wing.

Not without bumping into Caius. Not without approaching Aro or Marcus. And asking for their assistance would have defeated the purpose of Caius' test, right?

So she had a problem to think about.

Strolling mindlessly, she ended up in the gardens. She spent time just lying down on the manicured grass. Closed eyes. Thinking. But then an unsettling feeling would overtake her, and she'd be pacing around the gardens again.

That was how she found the graveyard.

It was unkept and unvisited. Which was no surprise to her as the grave was situated far from castle grounds, far past the garden maze, the shallow well, and rows of acacia trees. It hadn't even been on Gianna's map. Layers of dust and dirt covered the gravestone and the statue of the weeping angel above it. Overgrown shrubs of pink azalea and yellow forsythia framed the dreary landscape. The Italian stepped closer to the single gravestone in the area, knelt before it, and cleared it from fallen leaves with a brush of her hand.

"Didyme Volturi," she reads on it curiously. The name seems familiar to her. "Who are you?"

The silence answers her.

»»—- ❈ —-««

Didyme Volturi  
Beloved Queen, wife, and sister  
_alis volat propriis_

»»—- ❈ —-««

The answer takes Altheia back to the library. The name is familiar because it is the name on one of the private studies in the biblioteca. On a label, DIDYME VOLTURI says on gold letterings. She steps into the study and finds countless journals, diaries, and essays written through years spanning centuries on centuries. Autobiographical accounts on the Volturi hierarchy conveyed that not only was Didyme a former queen, but she was Marcus' wife and Aro's sister as well. She had penned essays on the woes of immortality, power, love, freedom, and happiness with the casual eloquence of a wordsmith. Her words written from centuries ago moved the scholar.

Nearing afternoon, the scholar found herself marching back to the graveyard with buckets of water, a handheld broom, garden scissors, brushes, and liquid soap.

"Hello, Didyme!" The human greeted happily as she started sweeping fallen leaves and twigs away from the grave. Later, she would trim the shrubs and wild grass with her scissors. "Name's Altheia. Big fan. Let me clean you up a bit."

»»—- ❈ —-««

Late in the evening, Marcus stood in the middle of the graveyard, speechless, as the moonlight illuminated Didyme's resting place in the ground. The flower shrubs curved around the chalk white angel, which now looked as if it was praying instead of weeping. Dead leaves and twigs nowhere in sight.

A somber smile graced the king's face as he knelt before his former wife's grave. A single human scent wafted the area.

"She found you, did she?" Marcus murmured softly with a chuckle. "What did you think of her?"

* * *

_Eight days left._

* * *

The morning of the twenty-third day was a dark, rainy Sunday. Altheia woke at seven and rose from bed when a letter slid under her door.

_The throne room will be occupied today at noon_

_By bloodthirsty vampires such as myself._

_This is in exchange of the kindness you showed my wife,_

_Marcus_

Altheia felt warm from the message of thanks. However, it took her three hours later, from the moment of its receipt, to realize what the letter from Marcus had truly meant.

_"Porca vacca," _she would swear and bolt right out of the library, her leather journal and pen clutched against her chest. Her heart thundered in her chest as her legs led her towards the northern quarters.

On Sunday noon, every vampire in the castle, _including the kings_, would be in the throne room.

And the north wing would be completely empty.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"Demetri. Great timing as usual. Do you know latin?"

A playful smile. "_Sic. Et Latin loquimur._"

"Then I have some questions."

* * *

_Seven days left._

* * *

"I am told that your scholar has been caged in the library since her arrival," Caius sneered at his brothers as he entered the chambers. "Perhaps your hopes are wasted on her."

Aro lowers the artifact he had been inspecting to glance at Caius. "Nervous?" he teases.

Caius bristled. "I am not!"

"I wonder what you would do, brother Caius," Marcus drawled from his resting position on the couch. "If the truth becomes her answer."

"Impossible," Caius says confidently. "She is no Latinist."

Marcus keeps quiet, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"She is no Latinist." Caius repeated after a minute, slightly skeptical this time.

"Yes, Caius, we heard you the first time." Aro teased.

Caius scowled.

* * *

_Two days left._

* * *

_Knock, knock._

"Altheia?"

Silence.

"Altheia, you're scaring me, you know?" Bella leans her forehead against the door. "You haven't been out for a couple of days. Demetri says you haven't been back to the library since."

There is still no response. Edward assures her that Altheia is safely inside – given his sensitive hearing – but the trays of untouched food outside her door told Bella otherwise.

"Do you want to talk? Is it about tomorrow?"

Moments pass in silence. Bella sighs deeply as she steps away from the doors.

"It will be alright, Altheia. I… " Bella hesitates. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

_One day left._

* * *

*Translations for this chapter:

_Oh mio dio_ – Oh my god  
_Sei un vero toccasana_ – You're a lifesaver  
_Ragazza_ – girl  
_Si_ – yes  
_Porca vacca_ – holy cow  
_sic, et latine loquimur_ – latin for yes, I speak latin  
_alis volat propriis - _latin for 'she flies with her own wings'

**A/N: Please don't judge me. Google translate is my friend.**

Please ready your hearts for the next chapter lol.

Thank you for the fervent reviews - I keep them close to heart.

Reveri x


	9. Chapter VII: Ancient Men

**I cannot find the words to express my utmost gratitude to those who reviewed (and professed their love for me hahaha) the past chapter. All the hair-pulling and head banging from all the re-writing and re-drafting of Chapter VII almost had me discontinuing this story, but because I could not disappoint you all, so here it is.**

**It's so difficult to manage so many characters with intricate histories. In writing AIV, believe me, I'm treading the unknown just as much as Altheia is. I'd also love to dedicate this chapter to LifeLoveLoki, who inspired me further after I read the latest developments of her latest work, Penance, another Kings/OC fic. Please give her works some love and attention.**

**As always, with all my love,**

**Reveri.**

* * *

**Chapter VII: Ancient Men**

**THE WEST WING DORMITORIES, VOLTERRA CASTLE. . .**

Bella Swan pulls herself awake from another nightmare, finding her right hand clutched protectively around her throat. She drops her hand to calm her racing heart and takes deep breaths before wiping away the lines of sweat framing her face.

The antique clock on her dresser tells her it is well past ten in the morning._ It's Sunday,_ she realizes as she dresses herself for the day. Edward would have left in the night to hunt and return later in the evening. _It's the first of May._

She finds her bearings easily enough after that. She hurriedly makes her way to the direction of Altheia's room and notices that the trays of food she had placed outside her door were no longer there. She knocks twice before peering inside, only to find the room unoccupied.

She makes her way down to the kitchens and sees Altheia Beneventi for the first time in three days, brooding over a cup of coffee. Their eyes meet, and Altheia offers her a weary smile, calling her over with some coffee and toast. Bella decides to postpone the interrogation as she eats her breakfast. The minutes pass by, and it is Altheia who decides to speak first.

"Where's Edward?"

_Siiip. _"Hunting. Said he'll be back tonight."

"Oh. Right. Sunday." A small pause. "That's good."

Bella agrees absentmindedly, taking another sip from her coffee. She doesn't know what exactly it is she's feeling, but her chest feels tight. She munches on her sandwich, eyeing Altheia as she rose from her seat to do the dishes.

"You're okay, right?" With Altheia's back turned away from her, she finally finds the courage to ask. "I'm free today if you need help with anything…"

Altheia's shoulders tense for a second before she continues rinsing. "I'll be fine, Bella. You don't need to worry about me. Did _you_ sleep well?"

"Oh, just the usual. Nightmares." Bella grimaces and scratches at her wrist absentmindedly.

"What a pair of damsels," Altheia says fondly as she finishes putting the dishes away. She turns to face Bella, leaning against the kitchen counter. "What are your plans for today?"

"After breakfast? Do my laundry, maybe read a book, sleep in… Endless possibilities." Bella says as she stretches her arms above her head. "_You_ look like you have big plans today," she observed. The twenty-five-year-old is clad in a periwinkle dress, her russet hair cascading in soft waves past her shoulders.

"Not really," the brunette laughs, playing with the straps of her dress. "I thought it would be nice to feel like an actual person today. For a change."

"But we liked you better as the resident squirrel of the library?" Bella laughs at the faux affronted face her friend made. "On that note, Demetri would _not_ stop bothering me at work about when you'd be back. I think he was starting to feel lonely."

A warm, lovely feeling crept up in Altheia. "Did he now?"

"If only you'd seen his face yesterday whe—"

"Well _thanks_, Bella," Demetri's voice drawled in dryly, startling the women as they turned to the direction of his voice. He was leaning against the kitchen doorway. "Ladies. _Buongiorno_."

"I have a little feeling, _signore_," Altheia bats her eyelashes mischievously at the kingsguard. "that you are here for me."

Demetri groans. "Forget it, will you?"

Bella stifles her laugh, a knowing smirk pulling the edge of her lip. "Why are you here then?"

"Master Aro requests your presence, Beneventi," Demetri says with a serious glare in Altheia's direction. The brunette laughs and raises her hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!"

"He called us _ladies_," Bella said pointedly to her friend, snorting unabashedly as she made her way out of the kitchen first, leaving the two to follow her exit. "Just because you're wearing a _dress!_"

Demetri shoots another glare at the brunette beside him before she can say anything else. "Not. Another. Word."

Altheia presses her thumb and index fingers in front of her lip, mimicking a zipping motion. She throws up her palms again in mock innocence, but the mirth dancing behind her eyes is unmistakable. Bella throws a sly smile in Demetri's way when they part, eager to leave the two as she headed to the direction of the laundry area. Demetri rolls his eyes at their antics but can't help to feel relieved.

It's an important day, after all. He will take all the reassurance he needs.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"Come in," Aro's voice calls out through the double doors even before Demetri could rap his knuckles against them. It was Altheia that stepped into the study first while Demetri trailed behind to close the doors and stand guard at the side.

Altheia follows the sound of Aro's voice to find him standing in the darker portion of his office, where tall shelves filled with books and bejeweled ornaments were displayed. Previously, she had scoured the spaces of the north wing in search of plaques, but she didn't have much time to scrutinize its interiors. It was not her first time here, but Aro didn't need to know that. The Volturi monarch was dressed in a dark dress shirt rolled up to his sleeves and black slacks, a folded cloak hanging from his arm. His back was turned to her as he flitted through numerous titles.

"Hello, Aro." Altheia greeted carefully. "You called for me?"

Altheia saw him pause for a moment, lips quirking upward as she spoke. As he retrieves a leather journal from the middle glass shelf, he tells her, "I understand that today marks your first month in Volterra."

Altheia nods. "Yes, it does. I've settled in well."

When Aro finally faces her, she gives him a nervous smile and forces her gaze not to linger on his face – his eyes were an unusually dark, deep black. "Please, sit." He instructs, gesturing to the navy settee in the middle of the room. He sits across from her on a leather armchair. "I also understand that today marks your deadline for Caius' task."

Altheia winced at that. "…yes."

"And how far have you come to answering his question?" Aro raises a brow at her, a telling smirk on his face. "Frankly speaking," Aro leaned forward, resting his chin atop interlocked knuckles. "You spent most of your days in the library. The answers sought from you are not found there."

"My answers didn't come from _any_ book," Altheia huffed. _If I knew that earlier, I wouldn't have wasted so much time with the catalogue, _she thought irritably. "Are you asking me this because you think I'll get it wrong and Caius will kill me later?" she tries to ask casually.

"Fret not. If so, I will ensure your blood is not wasted." Aro laughed at her sulky response. How adorable. "But you do not seem so concerned. Why is that?"

Altheia chuckled breathily, leaning back onto the sofa. "Aro, just two months ago I found out that vampires were real and living in southwest Florence because I met an American tourist in-flight and decided to follow her into the city's sewage system. After that, against my better judgment, I accepted your offer and chose to stay in a castle full of vampires because a post-doctorate in Naples would have been too simple," she laughed again. "Lately I've found out that I'm not exactly the queen of normal reactions."

"No, not at all," Aro agreed easily. He chuckles before handing her the leather journal he had retrieved from the glass shelf earlier. "For you."

The scholar flicks through the thick pages of the journal with her thumb, before tilting her head at the king in front of her. "It's empty."

"It's for your task," Aro explains. "I expect it would be easier for you to read your answers to us instead of reciting them from memory."

"Oh! You mean I should write all my translations here?" At his nod, Altheia purses her lips. "I'll have to get my notes. I left them all in my room…" she trails off, standing to leave. Aro shakes his head before sending Demetri to the west wing to retrieve her notes instead. He tells her to make use of the broad desk next to them for the succeeding hours. "You want me to write my translations _here_? _Signore,_ this is obviously your private space._" _Altheia gaped at him. "I can just go—"

He leveled her with a menacing look as he rose from the armchair, his height imposing on her smaller frame. "You do not have the luxury of time, _merendina._ Upon my return I will expect you to have collated your transcriptions. Unless, of course, you do not care for your neck."

She steps away from him with narrowed eyes. _Violent man. _"Fine!"

Altheia makes her way to the desk petulantly. From the corner of his eye, Aro watches her uncap a fountain pen and hears the pen begin to glide seamlessly on textured paper. Satisfied that she had obeyed him, he draped his cloak over his shoulders and stepped out of his office. Aro bites the inside of his cheek to stifle a chuckle when his ears pick up the scholar grumbling under her breath. "…the nerve… call me _merendina_… from now on… _polpetto_ in my eyes…"

His feet take him to the familiar path leading to the throne room. He can amuse himself later. For now, if intensifying burning in his throat were any indication, a feast awaited him beyond those doors.

»»—- ❈ —-««

His student hadn't even noticed his return until four hours had passed. Engrossed in the translation of latin scripture, Altheia paid little attention to her surroundings and remained oblivious to Aro's presence as she worked. Aro, at the very least, could appreciate the unflinching diligence of his new student. He passed the time by shamelessly observing her from his armchair, red eyes tracing the expressions her face would make. He found that his student would mouth the verses as she wrote, that her face would scrunch when faced with confusing lines, that she would nod to herself habitually, and that a small, satisfied smile would grace her lips when she would move to the next page for translation. After some time, he turns away and transfers to the navy settee. He closes his gaze, welcoming the soft lull of her working as he laid there, hands clasped above his stomach. Finally, his eyes snap open when he hears the scholar make a pleased noise from the back of her throat as she lifted the journal to eye-level, a proud grin visible as she inspected the pages of her work.

"Finally done?" he drawled languidly. Altheia startles, dropping the journal to the desk with a soft thud. She gawks at him. "Do you know that you talk to yourself when you work?"

"How long have you been there!" It takes her some time to recover, and he smirks at her blushing face and the sound of her racing heart. "_Wait, _no_._ How long has it been…?"

"It is already afternoon, _merendina._ You've taken your time." He murmurs, closing his eyes again, not moving from his position on the settee. He can hear the soft rustling of papers and re-capping of pens as she re-organized his desk, before hearing her feet thud softly across the carpet as she transfers to the armchair across him. She clears her throat to signal that she is ready to read to him. "Before we proceed to your deplorable rendition of hallowed verses, tell me. What have you learned about my coven?"

The query takes her off guard. "…uh? You mean, about the Volturi?"

He chuckles under his breath at her inarticulate response. After a moment, he hears her exhale softly. He opens his eyes to gaze at her again. She sits across him, a pensive look on her face as she thought through it. "Well… I've learned enough to believe that the founding members of the Volturi are ancient. _Ancient_. They were initially nomadic, as Didyme recounted in her journal once, but that was very long ago, and that's because most civilizations started around 8th century BC, so there wasn't really anywhere to inculcate themselves amongst human society without suspicion." The scholar's gaze trailed on the ceiling as she spoke.

"Ancient," Aro echoes with a hum. "How ancient? Barbaric? Primeval? Medieval?"

She rolls her eyes at him, unimpressed with the vague terminology. "If I were to rely on the hybrid Dispilio-cuneiform inscription on the library doors… _maybe_ 20th century BC? I have no way of knowing for sure. Other notable works in the library can be cross-referenced to later alphabetic forms. Some of the journals I found were versed in the transitional Phoenician-Chalcidan alphabet, which dates very differently at 8th century BC or so…" Altheia surprises him with an incredulous laugh. "So yes. This leads me to think that while the founding members of the Volturi are older than the oldest script known to the history of man, not all of them are. The expansion of the coven happened much later on, when human civilizations grew larger and allowed diversity. The convergence of different cultures and populations probably aided the coven to hide in plain sight, within the city itself."

Aro doesn't reply and the silence consumes them, making Altheia pull her gaze from the ceiling back to him uneasily.

"This is the part where you tell me I'm crazy. That my assessment is wrong," Altheia says quietly. "Because if you tell me I'm right and you're old enough to be God, I _will_ start praying and – _oh dio_, when did I last go to church…" the worry in her voice is genuine.

Her quip startles him, beckoning deep, rich laughter from the pits of his stomach._ Truly an amusing woman._ He pushes himself upright as he replies. "My dear, God is for another time and a different teacher."

The woman across him gasps, brown eyes wide with alarm. "So you _are,_ _at the very least, _three _thousand_ years _old?_"

"An ancient Greek man," Aro finds himself saying as his laughter subsides, slighted at her phrasing. "never tells his true age."

The sound that left his student's mouth was a cross between a horrified squeal and amazement. He rolls his eyes at her but can't help the amused grin pulling at his lips. Altheia leaned into the soft plush of the armchair as she calmed herself. "Oh Aro, this just isn't fair… The more I learn about the coven, the more I cannot disagree with Caius." he tilts his head slightly at her solemn tone. She exhales sharply. "You know. I… I loathed him because he told me I was a waste of time. I wanted to prove him wrong, but really, in the face of three thousand years of history and gifted immortality, what am I but a nobody? He was right. Even if I can answer his question, he will still be right."

Altheia was taken aback by how the vampire quickly dismissed it as an insecurity of hers with a careless wave of his hand. "What truly escapes me about you, dearest Altheia, is how you are very, truly, and completely human. At every chance, your mind tells you to run. Your heart tells you to give in. And yet here you are, brave little girl, across from me, amidst of the world of vampires, holding the answers to our immortal life, simply because we asked you a question." Aro lets out a rueful, disbelieving laugh. When his dark, piercing gaze meets hers, Altheia can feel her world spinning to a stop. "What I can say is that meeting you has reminded me of my own insignificance. If you have been deluded to believing you are a waste of time, perhaps it is a testament to your humanity and my brother's inferior understanding thereof."

To this, Altheia was left speechless. It was like she had lost her voice. His words washed over her like a tidal wave, storm after storm, leaving her mind a blank slate in the aftermath. Aro stared at her now, ruby eyes sharp and keeping, trained on any response she would make. _Run, brave little girl, _Aro thought as he gazed at his student. _Before I want more than your blood._

"Aro…" His name was barely a whisper.

"Now, read to me." Aro orders authoritatively, laying down onto the settee again, bringing the conversation to an end. His eyes are closed, and his hands are clasped, resting on his stomach. "Go on. Waste _my_ time, Altheia Beneventi," the monarch purrs.

Aro Volturi does not need to look at his precious student to know that the avalanche of his words created a ripe blush to spread across her skin like wildfire. _Brave girl. _The rapid thud of the heart in her chest assured him, but it is the intertwined scent of blood and arousal that puts a knowing smirk on his face.

Venom pools in his mouth. _Delicious._

»»—- ❈ —-««

_Aro Volturi is a dangerous man._ The scholar thinks as she struggles to compose herself. She almost chokes on her own thoughts when her mind responds. _You like a little danger._

»»—- ❈ —-««

Altheia takes deep, calming breaths before delving into her task. When she begins to read to the millennia-old vampire, her voice is reliable again. The Latin is familiar to her tongue, almost like second skin, and she knows she has surprised him once again with her command of the language.

_"__The first vampire resides in this castle. But before he was the first vampire, he was a simple man named Cain. He was human, just like each vampire born after him, rising from pulled flesh and fragile bones._

_"__In his human life, Cain was born to a clan dwelling in the high mountains. Their world was cold and draped with ice and snow, sierras spanning farther than the eyes could see, white sunlight blanketing the terrain. His clan ruled the nothingness and survived by grit and sheer strength, overpowering arctic beasts with sharp spears and precise arrows. They would dress themselves with the fur of their prey, bear coats providing the warmth on their backs, and carcass skullheads draped like helmets to the warriors. Life was survival, and survival was killing. The polar mountains were unforgiving. This was their way of life._

_"__As he grew, Cain was taught the duties of man in the tribe: to learn the ways of the wilderness, to kill and prepare the meat for eating, to harness metal and wood for weaponry, and most importantly, to be steadfast in defending the clan from the monsters after dark. Elders would ingrain these duties to their successors, and their harsh life ensured that they would never forget._

_"__But Cain, of age now, stronger, smarter, quicker, and more ruthless than any warrior raised before him, sought to leave the world he had always known. From the topmost point of the mountain ridges, he claimed to have seen past the open seas which separated the snowy terrain from vast green lands overgrown with vines and fatter animals, but the elders would not be swayed. The open seas were deep and dark, they warned him, vicious and ice cold, and nameless beasts would feast on their kind in the dark unknown. He would not survive._

_"__But Cain yearned for the free world beyond what he knew. Every month, he would trudge to the highest peak and gaze at the small patch of greenery he could see. His lips would turn blue on the way down, but it only reminded him of his imprisoned life in the snow. As the years passed, he grew frantic._

_"__The mountains were killing them all._

_"__It started with a snowstorm coming from the east. The winds did not warn them as the shards of ice suddenly engulfed the sierras. The snowy mountains shook and crumbled around their homes, displacing them from their caves and burying slow runners in the dead of the night. Cain was unnaturally fast, and as a trained warrior, his eyes could see through the dark, so he survived. In the morning, they would locate countless members of their clan lost to the disaster._

_"__The beasts came after. Only the most ruthless monsters could survive the sierras now, and the warriors barely stood a chance with their weaponry. In the night, bears thrice larger than what they had known would follow their scent in the dark, deep snow. Warriors and common people would be susceptible to attacks. Their homes were new, haphazardly made from rubble, and easily located by beastly predators – they were at the foot of the mountains now, after all. But Cain was unnaturally strong, smarter, and more ruthless than any man before him, and he survived the attacks, along with a small number of his people. He refused rest and sleep for long periods to ensure his clan's survival. He would not fail his duties as man. Life was killing, killing was survival, the mountains were unforgiving, and he still yearned for the world of green beyond the seas. This was his way of life._

_"__And then came the humid air. When the mountains started breathing hot air, sickness, and stench downslope, Cain braced himself. Even large beasts would fall to the disease, their rotting, inedible carcasses as evidence, and soon enough, death claimed all but three of the clan survivors. The mountains were unforgiving. Cain remained unnaturally strong, quick, and smart, but above all, he was more ruthless than any man before him, and he knew what he had to do to survive. Life was killing. He would rest, once and for the last time, before braving the open seas. This was his way to life._

_"__When he awakened, Cain was just like the mountains, cold and unforgiving, vicious as he butchered the flesh of his own brothers, vicious as he tore through flesh and ate them in preparation for his freedom; skin white as snow, ice cold and biting as he started to slug their blood like water. His belly was filled, and the red liquid dribbling past his lips clouded his mind with a certain fever, and he knew he had changed. His sins had turned him into a crazed monster. He was not atop of the sierras, but Cain could see the green past the open seas. Life was killing, and Cain was stronger, quicker, smarter, and more ruthless than any man alive. He could no longer die._

_"__Cain, no longer a simple man, would shed his bear coat as it hampered his rowing through the cold, open seas. In the night, strong tides would shred his boat into planks, and he would almost drown in the depth of the seas. But Cain was no longer just a man – he was a monster – he was the strongest, fastest, smartest, and most ruthless monster alive. And so he persisted, energy from flesh and blood in his belly supplying his limbs as they swam past the tides, skin thick and eyesight sharp, because Cain was a warrior, and killing was his specialty. This was freedom. He would survive._

_"__He would swim for countless days, unstopping, untiring, and undaunted. The nameless monster in the dark unknown was him. One daylight, he would reach the shores and emerge from the ocean, his skin glistening just as how the sun had shone on the salts of the dark sea. The ruthless monster would not be slain, and its specialty was killing. He kills every man he meets, demented with the taste of immortality, and he soon learns to hunt the scent of sweet, human blood._

_"__In his immortal life, Cain, no longer man and finally the first vampire, satiates his newborn craving for blood after consuming all red, liquid life. He easily swims from one channel to the next in search of larger greeneries and more humans. As he lived through the years and consumed, the first vampire would learn control. He would yearn for companionship and his clan. He would learn how to lure and hunt his chosen prey in the dark unknown. He was strong. Fast. He was craved, cruel, and ice cold. Ruthless._

_"__However, since both the man and monster in him never knew heat, flames, or fire, it would remain his single vulnerability. While hunting, he would discover that not only could he burn from searing flames, but also from the venom of savage beasts bred in the light, which would easily pierce his skin like poisoned arrows. But he is a vampire, and so he will kill, and the man in him is a warrior, and so he will fight, and he will survive by the blood that dements him."_

»»—- ❈ —-««

Copious silence filled the room as Altheia finished her narration. The brunette closed the journal she read from and placed her head against the cushion of the chair, her energy depleted. Her mouth felt dry, and as she welcomed rest, she realizes she had not eaten much at breakfast. In fact, it was nearing nighttime now, and she really needed to eat soon. If her translations were correct, and Caius wouldn't be snapping her neck later, then maybe she could finally ask about going outside castle grounds? Oddly enough, all that speech about flesh and blood had her craving for venison pappardelle… Or was that too much to ask for right now? Aro let her keep her phone, after all, and that showed a lot of trust in her… Hmm, come to think of it, _why wasn't she concerned about dying?_ Oh god, something was seriously _wrong_ with h—

"What are you thinking?"

Aro's voice jolted her out of her daydream.

"Honestly?" she smiles, blinking innocently. Aro nods, red eyes alight with curiosity. "I'm thinking about food and I'm hungry and I need to eat. Venison pappardelle. That's what I'm thinking," she deadpanned.

That's when Altheia hears stifled laughter. Aro is chuckling at her again, but it is not him that the laughter is coming from.

"Oh, sweet Altheia," Aro murmurs, a sheepish look on his face. "I do hope you forgive me."

Face contorting in apprehension, Altheia pushes herself off from the armchair and follows the muted sound of merriment. Her hearing takes her past the shelves, to the corner of Aro's study, where an inconspicuous door was left ajar. Nudging it further open, her horrors are affirmed as she discovers that Aro's study _was conveniently adjoined to the kings' convening chambers,_ where Caius and Marcus were presently lounging on their respective chaises, easily overhearing the entire discussion that had transpired in the neighboring office. The convening chamber was spacious, and allowed ample space for sitting furniture despite the luxurious wide table in the middle. Caius and Marcus were clad in proper suited dress shirts and slacks as they frequently were. Marcus was laughing.

_What the…_

Annoyance bubbling inside of her, Altheia strode into the chambers, fists clenched at her sides. She shook her head disapprovingly at Marcus, who was laughing a lot louder now, as if the hilarity of the situation had doubled at her presence.

"_Ve-Venison!_ _Pappardelle!_" Marcus sputtered, an arm gripping his stomach as he laughed riotously. "The lore of the first vampire… has her _craving for venison pappardelle!_"

"Never change, dear," Altheia swatted Aro's hand away from patting her head as he walked past her, following her into the chambers. She seethes in silence and crosses her arms over her chest. Much to her displeasure, it takes a while before Marcus quiets down from his high. Altheia pretends she does not see the shrewd smirk on Caius' face. She pretends she has more than a shred of her dignity intact.

"And your answer?" The unusually soft baritone of Caius' voice unnerves her. "Who is the first vampire, and how was he born?"

"The first vampire was a man named Cain. He transformed after consuming human flesh and blood for dire survival," she regards the snow-haired king with a tight-lipped sneer. "_However,_ the first vampire now goes by the name of _Caius Volturi _and relishes in making my life a living hell."

"You brazen fool..." Caius snarled at her, rising instantly from the plush chaise. "I'll _show_ you hell..."

"Now, now, children, no fighting in the chambers." Aro placated sarcastically from his seat. Obviously, this was the wrong thing to say – Caius and Altheia bristled at him instantly.

"What is curious to me, brothers, is how well-versed _signorina _Beneventi is in the matter of ancient languages," Marcus redirected his attention to the scholar as he spoke. "_Eruditus es?_"

"_Sic._ I will admit that Demetri aided me with several passages, but I was previously trained by my academic mentor in Naples. Years ago," she replied reminiscently, tone gentler now that she refused to look back at Caius. "I tested out of the schooling system at fourteen and was redirected by the ministry to graduate studies under him. He may have taught me out of displeasure, but now I owe him my life."

"A linguist by profession," Caius scoffed at her. "Perhaps I should assign you a different task for this mockery."

"_Ah,_ no. My mentor was the linguist," Altheia shrugged, still unnerved by him. "Eventually, I decided to become an instructor of law and philosophies. We simply kept in touch."

"You were taught well," Aro remarked. His student agreed with a grin. "What was your teacher's name?"

When Altheia hesitated, fearing for the life of her mentor, Aro rolled his eyes at her. "He no longer mentors now, as he retired from the academe shortly after I left my post," the scholar supplied. "My mentor's name was Amun Nehesy."

The kings' reactions were instantaneous and surprising. At the revelation of her former mentor's name, both Aro and Caius' gazes had darkened. Marcus released a low whistle, clicking his tongue after. "An ancient man for an ancient language," Marcus said offhandedly.

"You know him," Altheia hinged from their expressions nervously. And then it clicked. "Oh _no._"

"Oh, _merendina,_ you have answered correctly and so you will live another day," the black-haired king shook his head solemnly as he considered her. "But then again, perhaps your mortality remains to be the greatest question of all."

_They knew Amun, and Amun... was... a vampire? But… he… I never…_

With her thoughts racing a hundred miles per hour and none of the kings willing to elaborate further, Altheia was shortly dismissed from the chambers. Mind reeling from the turn of events, she made her way through the marble corridors of the north wing lightheadedly. Her eyes were tired and unfocused until they found a familiar blond man leaning against the junction at the end of the hallway.

"You're alive," the kingsguard remarked as his gaze regarded her thoroughly, as if he were checking for intact body parts. "And still human," he added dryly.

"Demetri," the scholar's steps halted when she reached him. She allowed her façade to fade completely as she accepted he was right, and that she was, in fact, alive and still human. Caius _didn't_ kill her. Relief flooding through her veins, she looked up to the guard with a warm smile. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Don't push your luck, _scoiattolo,_" Demetri warned the coy woman. "As it is, I've decided to stroll near _Osteria dei Poeti _tonight_._"

"Let me guess," Altheia's eyes brighten in awe and her lips stretched into a wide grin. _Charming man_. "They make a mean pappardelle."

"Or so I hear," the guard replied pleasantly, before pushing himself off the wall and launching himself briskly to the direction of the southern gates.

"Demetri! Wait! Wait for me!" The brunette called out as she scampered after him, stomach grumbling noisily as she went. "Even squirrels need to eat!"

* * *

_CHAPTER EPILOGUE_

"Jane has isolated herself in her room for two weeks?"

"Yes, Master," Renata confirms. "She refuses to come out. And there are sounds coming from her room. Tones I do not understand."

"She may be unwell." Marcus murmurs. "What says her twin?"

Renata shrugs. "Alec is not so concerned."

"Ah, well," Aro looked preoccupied with the stacks of letters he was signing. Caius' eyes narrowed at his brother's flippant attitude. Aro hums thoughtfully. "Perhaps little Jane has entered her rebellious stage. She is a teen-ager, after all."

"But, master—"

"Renata." Aro places his quill down, pausing from his work. The shield recoiled from the blank expression on the king's face—she knew all too well about the storm underneath. "Jane has always come to me, and will always come to me, should my concern be necessary. Do you have reason to distrust Jane?"

"…No, master." She averts her gaze to the floor. "I apologize."

"Then let her enjoy solitude. Now leave us." Aro dismissed Renata with a wave of a hand.

And that was the end of that discussion, fortunately enough for little Jane, who, at that very moment, was happily distracted by the wonders of the her new phone.

She wouldn't trade it for the world.

* * *

*Translations for this chapter:

_Merendina_ (little snack) and _Polpetto_ (meatball) are common Italian terms of endearment based on food used by couples. It's actually very cute that Italians call their girl/boyfriends these nicknames. But in this chapter, it's not exactly sweet that they've referred to each other as such, huh?

Venison pappardelle is a Tuscany specialty cuisine, where game meat (beef, elk, rabbit, squab, or wild boar) pasta is flavored with herbs and mushrooms. _Osteria dei Poeti _is a local restaurant in Volterra that has a considerable selection of game cuisine.

_Eruditus es? _– latin for, _Were you trained / Were you taught?_

_Sic – _latin for yes

_Scoiattolo _\- italian for squirrel

**Version 23/Apr/2020**

* * *

**Post Chapter Discussion**

Regarding the first vampire - I had a difficult time with the lore. I wrote up and deleted so many possible scenarios, and they would have really turned AIV to the opposite direction I wanted it to go, so ultimately I chose sensibly with Cain the Huntsman. If anything, twilight always stressed that human traits were immensely amplified by vampiric transformation, and may even manifest as their supernatural gifts. So the lore of the arctic huntsman won over god and witch immortality curse for evil, and other hair-pulling alternatives that my brain tried to justify. What's important is I'm satisfied with the lore I chose. It explained the vampire tropes on sparkling skin (i really hate you stephenie meyer what the hell is that diamond skin about), cold skin, super strength, eyesight, and speed sooo well. We'll delve onto Caius later.

Also, yes - just like the Cullens and the Volturi, some vampires will occasionally live amongst humans to pass time. Amun and Altheia have not seen each other since her father passed away (and told her to travel the world with her inheritance money). What you need to know about Amun is that not only was he Altheia's academic mentor, he is also Demetri's sire. Now, these are two men that she considers dear to her... I wonder how much. Think about what that means for the kings, since according to breaking dawn trivia, they used Chelsea to manipulate Demetri's bonds from the Egyptian coven to obtain his gift. I wonder what Amun were to do if he found out about Demetri and Altheia meeting? I wonder what gift Altheia will have when she transforms? My brain hurts

What I can tell you about the next chapter is that since Aro has been spending too much time with Altheia, it's time to bother his brothers for plot purposes. Thank you for waiting patiently! And I can't wait for you guys to propose to me in your next review (I'm looking at you, moony360 haha). I'm not joking. Love you all! Reveri x


	10. Chapter VIII-I Hello, Welcome, Goodbye?

**As always, with all my love,**

**Reveri x**

* * *

**Chapter VIII: Hello, Welcome, and… Goodbye?**

**Part I**

In the succeeding days after accomplishing her first task, Altheia found herself listless as she treaded the castle grounds. Apparently, Edward's thoughts were a little too judgmental towards Aro about his student's non-existent sleeping schedule and recently diminished appetite, which led the black-haired king to promptly summon her to the throne room. There, he announced that she was temporarily barred from returning to the library and conducting any scholarly work, and ordered her to spend the next few weeks recuperating from the cognitive strain of the month before.

She did try to argue with the monarch, saying that Edward's thoughts were simply exaggerated to get a rise out of him, but Bella had piped up from her secretary desk. In her white button-up blouse and smart pencil skirt, her human friend stated matter-of-factly, "Altheia, you don't even sleep anymore. You just black out when people aren't talking to you. _Take a break._"

Unable to refute Bella, the scholar shied under Aro's darkened and disapproving stare. "If Carlisle were here, he would lecture us all about human limits," Edward added _very unnecessarily._ Behind the calm façade, the scholar knew that Aro was positively considering killing her that very moment.

"Edward, _shut up,_" she hissed at him, glaring meaningfully.

When Aro finally spoke again, there was no hope for compromise. "Perhaps you would rather be changed?" he smiled obligingly at her, fangs showing. "Then, you would no longer have the need for sleep."

Shoulders hunching in defeat, she shook her head and accepted the break. Leaving the throne room, she sent a betrayed, scathing glare over her shoulder. Bella rolled her eyes, while Edward just looked satisfied with himself.

Begrudgingly, Altheia acknowledged that maybe she _did_ need the rest. See, with nothing else to do, and the guards ready to tell on her when she even _neared_ the bibliotheca, the Italian found herself drifting between the kitchens and her bedroom. Before she even knew it, most that week was spent collapsed on her bed, mind in deep sleep. When she did truly feel well-rested and finally started eating normally again, her break still hadn't been lifted, and she was forced to her free time wandering the castle grounds alone.

Apparently, as she slept through the week, pressing reports of disappearances and murders in the Americas made its way into coven's primary agenda, leaving her usual companions hectic and unapproachable. Edward as the interim informant of the kings, Demetri as the commanding kingsguard and tracker, and Bella acting as the coven secretary assured that their daylight hours would be spent in endless meetings and duties they were obligated to attend to, and left them testy when the night came. Bella was about as sweet-tempered as a viper these days, so _no thank you,_ she would rather haunt the castle grounds by herself.

Often choosing to seclude herself in the outskirts of the Volterra fortress, lying down under the shade of acacia trees, Altheia startles when she turns and sees a pale, red-eyed king reclined on the grass right next to her.

"_Jesus Christ!_" she cried out of fright.

Marcus smirked as he looked down at her startled form. "Hardly."

"Don't you have meetings to be in?" she asks wryly, watching him cross his arms under his head. He curves a brow at her. "Since, you know, _you_ _govern the vampire world_."

The notion of skipping out on his kingly duties puts an arrogant, taunting smirk on the monarch's face. "And who's going to tell on me?"

"Oh yes, I heard all about your work ethic," the woman responded as she resumed her position. "Imagine not doing anything for two _thousand_ years." she barks out a laugh. "I think Caius hates me because you chose to teach me instead of doing your actual job. But that's ok, Marcus. I know I'm irresistible."

"I see you need a lesson in humility as well," he replies. "Do you often address your superiors this way?"

"Superiors? Where?" There is a ghost of a smile on Altheia's face when he glances at her. Her eyes are closed, deep brown hidden from his gaze, and the swaying shadows of the leaves trace shapes on her sunlit skin.

"Impudence." He murmured in a low voice as his eyes fixed on the human lying beside him. The woman turned onto her side to face towards him, long, bronzed hair cascading on the grass bed in shades of russet, eyes opening to look up at him as she laughed. His fingers twitch behind his head, and he stops himself from reaching across to feel the silk of her locks on his fingertips.

Marcus' gaze is soft when she glances at him, and Altheia has half the mind to look away. Red tints on her cheeks, she lets the minutes pass in companionable silence, her fingers tracing the shards of grass and fallen petals on the ground.

"I have a question," she says later, easing out of the quiet. "About, er, vampires having special abilities."

"Of course you do," he sighed. "You are a potential shield, after all."

"Yes, about that too," Altheia chewed on her lip nervously. "Aro and Edward can read minds, Alice can see the future, Demetri can apparently track anyone he's met before, even across the globe, and Jane can inflict excruciating pain in someone's mind like a parlor trick. But Bella and I are human and yet some of those gifts don't work on us."

"Special abilities will manifest differently for every person," Marcus confirmed. "But not all abilities will be powerful, and not all vampires will possess one."

"What do you mean?"

"Aro and Edward are both telepaths, but their gifts differ. With one touch, Aro can see each memory and hear each thought you've ever had. Edward's gift doesn't require tactile contact, and his hearing extends for miles, but he can only ever hear your present thoughts." Altheia nodded interestedly as he spoke. "With Jane, who can incapacitate anyone with unthinkable pain, or Demetri, who you can never escape, or Felix, whose strength and combat prowess knows no rival amongst the covens, any ungifted individual finding himself opposite to the Volturi will unquestionably suffer defeat. Unless…"

"Unless they're a shield," Altheia finished. Marcus shrugged.

"On the matter of your friend, I presume that Isabella Swan will become a powerful mental shield when she is turned, which Aro sees problematic for the Volturi in the future, as you should understand by now. The Cullens may not consume human blood, but their members are formidable without it." Ruby eyes look to her meaningfully. "You, on the other hand, are the Volturi's best hope for that future."

"I don't even know how I'm doing what you think I'm doing, so don't count on it," Altheia laughed as she changed the subject. "What about the others? Does Caius have a gift? Do you?"

"Each member of the Royal Guard is gifted. However, those with notable abilities are Chelsea, who can manipulate relationships; Alec, who deprives any target of all senses; and Renata, who is a physical shield and averts any attempt at aggression." Marcus answered obligingly, but narrowed his eyes at her after. "I can assess Bonds between people, pinpoint their strength and weaknesses. Collectively, our abilities ensure that the coven, ah, _governs_ the kind, as you said. But _Caius_ is a dangerous subject, being the first vampire, and if you truly want to know, you must ask him yourself."

"So I shouldn't piss off anyone in the castle. Got it." Altheia huffed, nodding resolutely to herself. "Is it okay if I ask… how your gift works? What do you see and how do you know what bonds mean?"

Marcus regarded her under a thoughtful stare. _Curious cat._

"You're a know-it-all, aren't you."

"I've… been called that many times in this life, yes." She admitted petulantly before flushing pink and turning away. "You don't have to answer anymore," she grumbled. "I was just curious."

Altheia thought she was imagining things when she felt soft fingers comb through her locks. But when she turned back to glance over her shoulder, Marcus was still reclined as before.

_Was it the wind? Weird._

"What I will tell you is," Marcus pushed himself upright as he turned to face her. "With my gift, I can understand why you agreed to become a Volturi. No, why you _want _to."

Perplexed, Altheia sat up and turned to him fully. "I _want_ to become a Volturi?"

"Of course. You are not linked," Marcus spoke candidly, eyes almost dazed as he assessed her. Realizing he was actually using his ability on her, Altheia started to shrink under his all-knowing gaze. "You do not have much loyalty to anyone, but your strings are eager. In fact, you're waiting… Hm. You're orphaned now, aren't you. But your parents meant the world to you.… Homesick, yes, I see… And you are more lonesome than you seem to be. Did you not have time for friends?"

"Um."

"You are happy that you met Isabella Swan," he continued. "and consider her a sister. Your bond with her is strong and reciprocated. Protective."

"Yeah you can stop now." Altheia muttered quietly. "I get it."

Marcus tilted his head slightly, red eyes fixated now that he was watching her expression. "Intrusive, isn't it? Aro once said I can be very meddlesome if I want to be."

Altheia snorted. "I'll say."

"Impudence again."

As Marcus' comments echoed in her mind, a small frown pulled at her lips. "You think I want to become a Volturi because I'm lonely?"

"Essentially," the monarch confirmed, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. "But not entirely."

"Do I even want to know?"

Marcus chuckled. "Aren't you the know-it-all?"

"You're right," his student sighed. "I won't be able to sleep. Tell me?"

"Humans and vampires alike, are very social creatures," he answered. "Our bonds with others can be born out of yearning, instinct, choice, circumstance, or even manipulation. But sometimes, even our souls are linked a scheme greater than what we know, and we gravitate to that pull unknowingly."

"Sorry, you lost me?"

"Your Fate has always been here. In Volterra," Marcus clarified for her. He rose from the grass and offered his hand before pulling her up from the ground delicately. "No matter what would have happened, the universe would have conspired to take you back to this place to satiate the Bonds in your soul. The Volturi would have inevitably hounded you to stay... not just because you're a shield."

"That's oddly comforting," Marcus' gaze flew to hers when she said this. Altheia mumbled. "I mean. Knowing that I would have met all of you, no matter what. It's comforting."

_If only it hadn't taken so long, _Marcus thought as he lifted her chin with a single finger. Brown eyes stared back inquisitively at him.

She hadn't wholly understood what he meant, but he figured that he wasn't ready for her to, either. _In time, perhaps._ With so many other things he wanted to say, Marcus allowed a small, tender smile to curve across his lips before dropping his hold.

"You're right," he murmured quietly as they walked back to the castle side by side. "And I am thankful."

»»—- ❈ —-««

Over the next few days, Altheia looked forward to the familiar companionship Marcus had offered under the shades of acacia in the afternoon. Unlike the first day, their succeeding meetings were spent conversing about lighter topics, like the countries they had travelled to and interesting people they'd met (because Altheia found out the hard way that asking Marcus personal and profound questions always ended up with her being psychoanalyzed by the meddlesome millennia-old vampire). When he struggled to recall events from recent years, Marcus admitted to being more ghoul than man after his wife had passed.

"Didyme was—joy, delight… Without her, I…" His expression immediately obscured when he reminisced. He felt his strength leave his limbs as they dropped to his sides. "She was the light of my life."

"_Marcus Volturi_," the monarch was stunned out of his trance when his companion admonished him, finger wagging at him in disapproval. "If Didyme brought everyone so much joy, why would you immortalize her this way? From now on, when you remember Didyme, I want you to smile. You smile because you met her, and you loved each other, and the joy that she left with you lives on."

Almost instinctively, his expression contorted into anger. This woman _knew_ _nothing_ about Didyme. _Nothing_ about his loss and grief. She would never understand. _Didyme was the light of his life._ He opened his mouth to give her a piece of his mind, but furious words never make it past his lips.

Valiantly, Altheia had taken his hands into her own and turned his palms upward. Holding them open, she told him, "When sunlight falls on your skin, I want you to remember Didyme. Wasn't she beautiful? Wasn't she bright and warm?" As if on cue, specks of light filtered through the trees and created exquisite shimmers on his skin. "When the winds of the world embrace you, I want you to remember Didyme. Didn't her laughter take your breath away?" The trees and grass around them swayed softly in the afternoon breeze.

"Marcus, when you remember Didyme, _please_ remember her happily in the world around you." The brunette squeezed his fingers before dropping her grasp on his hands, only to step closer and press her own palm on the spot above his chest where his heart would not beat. "Because when you remember her this way, you give her honor and justice. You give her love."

She pressed on his undead heart further. "You will realize that she stays, Marcus, she stays with _you _because you _remember her_. She's right here. _Always_."

_Marcus?_

In that moment, Marcus thinks he is finally losing his mind. He starts seeing Didyme's phantom standing right in front of him, under the rays of sunlight, sparkling, beckoning him with a smile. Just as beautiful as he remembered her, just as warm. He starts hearing Didyme's soft laughter float across the gentle wind, hair swaying, and her loving voice calling out to him.

_Marcus._

His lips twisted.

_I'm right here._

His arms shook.

_I love you._

"Didyme," he breathed weakly.

_Don't grieve for me, Marcus._

She opens her arms to him.

_Live for me_.

He surges forward, arms darting to pull the woman into his chest. Altheia squeaks in surprise when she is pulled and finds herself pressed against Marcus, but after a moment, she smiles in relief, and wraps her arms around him.

_Laugh for me._

Marcus embraces her, cradling her head in an arm, pulling her waist closer to him with the other. "I will."

_Love for me._

He doesn't immediately let go or look away, and strangely enough, for the first time in his life, Marcus is not afraid to.

Finally… a subtle, nostalgic smile. "I will."

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE THRONE ROOM, VOLTERRA CASTLE. . .**

"You want to have a _what?_" Bella's face was struck with horror. "Absolutely _not. _You know how busy we are already!"

"I didn't ask _you,_" Demetri stated matter-of-factly, before turning back to the king in front, bowing respectfully. "I asked Master Aro."

"Perhaps after the trials, Demetri," the telepathic king decided with careful consideration. "I shall allow it."

"Ha!" The kingsguard cried in triumph. "Heidi won't know what to do with herself when she hears _this._"

"This is _bad_." Bella muttered as she returned to her work. "Altheia's not going to like this."

"Put it into the calendar, newbie," The smug look on the tracker's face makes her want to throw her pencil at him. "Because she's not going to have a choice."

»»—- ❈ —-««

Barely morning the next day, Altheia is wakened by insistent, consecutive rapping on her door. Half-asleep, she pushes herself out of bed. Rubbing her eyes as she pulled the door open, she did a double take on her visitor before yelping.

"Oh, is it still too early? Dora said 6AM should be fine… Should I come back later?"

Standing outside her door at sunrise was Sulpicia Volturi, looking effortlessly regal in the slender, emerald dress that hugged her figure. Her long hair was pulled into an elegant chignon, unveiling the Queen's kind, charming face.

"Q-Queen Sulpicia," the scholar bowed, shaking herself awake. She patted her hair down in an attempt to make herself presentable, but with her cotton pajamas and groggy face, Altheia just wanted to curl up and die on the spot. "I'm sorry, I didn't know… I would have prepared… Oh I'm so embarrassed… I'm _so_ sorry…" she rambled.

"No, no, dear, it's my fault," Sulpicia said, tone apologetic. "May I come in? I'm currently evading Corin, you see. I don't think she's realized I'm gone yet…"

"Of course, please, come in," The scholar led her into the bedroom without much thought. Pulling the desk chair for her visitor, she asked, "But… why would you be hiding from Corin?"

"I escaped from the Tower so I could come get you myself," Sulpicia answered with a proud grin. Altheia's mouth fell open. "Could Dora and I borrow you for the day? We promise to bring you back safely," she continued.

Before Altheia could even process the question, the empress had already seated herself on the wooden chair, hands folded neatly on her lap. "I'll wait for you here as you get ready. But you should bathe quickly, I think we only have a few minutes before all hell breaks loose. But go on, take your time, you're human after all. I can be very patient."

Altheia blinked twice before shaking her head and making her way to the bathroom, bewildered. "Am I still dreaming?" she wondered aloud.

The vampire in her room beamed. "Would you like me to select your garments for you?"

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE TOWER, VOLTERRA. NOT EVEN AN HOUR LATER. . .**

As planned, Sulpicia returned to the tower unnoticed, the coven scholar in tow and castle guards none the wiser. Her attending guard, Mele, had been instructed to distract Corin in Sulpicia's bid to fetch the human woman from the west wing herself, while Athenodora collected human nourishment from the pantry.

Athenodora arrived after shortly after them with a jute, picnic basket hanging from one arm, dressed in a dark, chic slip. Taking out her pantry haul from the basket one by one, the blonde queen chuckled heartily as she arranged assorted rolls and sandwiches, teacups, biscuits, water and wine bottles on the ornate mahogany table. When Mele returned, noting the success of their operation, she exhaled deeply in relief and took her usual post next to the hearth.

"You… you've really thought this through," Altheia remarked in amusement as the group reconvened in one of the queens' sitting rooms. "I'm actually impressed."

"Yes! Oh Dora," Sulpicia giggled as she flitted across the room. "Wasn't that _such_ a rush? I felt like I was hunting _and_ hunted… Marvelous."

"Indeed. A housemaid _almost_ saw me," Athenodora divulged before turning to smile at Altheia. "Hello dear. I hope we didn't frighten you."

"Just a little bit," she replied nervously. "Have I been kidnapped?"

"Kidnapped!" Sulpicia tutted, wagging a finger at her. "You were too willing to be a victim if you ask me."

"You see, I thought I was dreaming…"

"Ha! Tell _that_ to the judge. Go on then, have your breakfast. Unlike others, we're very knowledgeable of human needs if I do say so myself." Sulpicia rambled pleasantly, gesturing to the food on the table as she darted between rooms.

Munching on a sandwich, Altheia looked on apprehensively as the queens started bringing in racks of clothing and jewelry into the room, eyes barely keeping up with their speed.

_Yup, they're not human, alright._ The scholar's face twisted as she watched Athenodora easily carry a thick, full-length mirror in one hand and a divan in the other. Sulpicia assembled a full-sized easel and a large canvas by the window before she laid out paintbrushes and tubes of paint at inhuman speed.

An hour later, when the queens finally settled and dusted their hands, eyeing around the sitting room's contents nodding to themselves, pleased, Altheia finally found her voice.

"I'm going to be a doll today, aren't I." she deadpanned.

"You're very smart, so you shan't even try to fight it." Sulpicia giggled. "It will make this _so_ much easier."

Athenodora's garnet eyes glinted as she looked over the human's figure meticulously. "Mele," her tone was clipped and maternal. "Run a milk bath_. Immediately._"

"And _don't_ forget the lavender!" Sulpicia chimed as her attendant disappeared from sight. Her gaze darkened as she turned back to the scholar, revealing a sharp pair of styling scissors in her hand. "Don't be afraid," she crooned. "We know what we're doing."

As the queens sauntered closer to her, Altheia stepped back, laughing nervously under her breath. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Well," Athenodora smirked cryptically. "Because we can."

»»—- ❈ —-««

The hours pass in a blur, and Altheia believes she has developed a soft heart for the queens, despite being womanhandled, bathed, repeatedly dressed and undressed, modelled, posed, styled, and painted. Sulpicia and Athenodora are absolutely terrifying in their own right, but they were _really _talented stylists.

They wasted no time and asked her what length she preferred her hair, only to decide amongst themselves that they would keep it long, slightly past chest-level, and instead chose to accentuate the shape of her feminine face by framing it with soft, lengthy fringes. Quickly after, she was whisked into a lukewarm lavender milk bath, which Athenodora insists is "the secret to poreless skin." Sulpicia would dress her in a whirlwind of slips, gowns, chic gems, and _tiaras_, before routinely posing her on the plush divan next to the fireplace, where Athenodora would paint her masterfully.

"I'm beginning to understand why you two have been incarcerated in the tower," Altheia muttered tiredly when Athenodora finished with the ninth portrait. She mindlessly dressed herself into the garment laid out next to her: a scowl neck, burgundy satin slip with mid-thigh slit. "It's to protect everyone else from your menace."

"Witty, but untrue." Sulpicia giggled again. "In the first order of things, we are certainly not _incarcerated_. Outsiders like to chatter about us being prisoners, but that's truly opposite from the case."

"Will you believe us if we told you that we _chose_ to live in the towers?" Athenodora inquired. "Perhaps you would if I explained. You've heard about Didyme's tragedy, have you not?"

Altheia nodded. "A casualty from the Roman warfare."

"Amidst the scuffle, they murdered her. She screamed for Marcus, and she screamed for Aro, and then she was gone. Just like that." Athenodora narrated sadly. "No words, no negotiations. No mercy."

"The Volturi emerged victorious, but who could rejoice after what happened? Marcus, too, lost his life when Didyme burned in front of him. It was all truly tragic." Sulpicia sniffed as she started re-styling the scholar's russet hair into soft curls. "They weren't Mates, no, but she was his wife, and they truly cared for each other."

"What happened with Didyme's death scared us…" Athenodora confessed, frowning. "Marcus became the shell of a man we once knew, and we feared what would happen to Aro and Caius if we perished in a different war. The order of our world would collapse. Absolute chaos. The war we fought would be for nothing."

"So you chose to remain in the tower," Altheia finished sadly. Brows furrowing, the scholar noted, "Vampires are _mated?_"

"Don't you know? Hmm, well..." Sulpicia hummed as she dabbed Altheia's cheeks with rose powder. "The Cullen pairs are Mates. Carlisle, lovely Esme. Beautiful Rosalie, Emmett. Enchanting Alice, Jasper. Perhaps Edward and Bella are mates as well. I am happy for them, but I do harbor some resentment for how good and righteous their lives are."

"Agreed." Athenodora laughed under her breath. "Only some vampires are fortunate enough to meet their Mates. The rest of us make do."

"I wouldn't exactly call being married to royalty _making do,_" Altheia said dryly, and the queens snickered.

"Maybe so, but I married Aro long before he was king. The times and titles may have changed along the way," Sulpicia heard herself saying. "But before we had power, we had nothing… just the two of us. It makes a difference, you see, knowing that you will not suffer immortality alone. It makes you a little desperate."

"That's…" Altheia considered her words. "…a little heartbreaking."

"You would think so, but I love my husband very much. Even if he isn't my Mate."

"As do I." Athenodora echoed.

"Well then." The scholar smiled. "That's very romantic."

"Isn't it? Aro cared for me, and protected me, and was my life's confidant through the years. His heart broke when he read my palm and saw that I wanted to hide myself away in this tower for him. But… that's how much I love him." Sulpicia's voice was no more than a whisper, eyes downcast. "Someday, if I am fortunate enough to meet _my_ Mate… I hope Aro will love me enough to make the tough decisions, too…"

"_Sully,_" Athenodora scolded weakly. "You're going to make me _cry._"

But Sulpicia is laughing again. "Ha! I _dare _you. Cry _right now._ You can't, can you? Hahaha…"

_Is it just me or,_ Altheia thought as she watched them bicker. _Are vampires not as scary as they think they are?_

"I truly hope you find your Mates someday, Sully, Dora." Altheia casually piped as she rose from the couch, heading to the table to munch on a ham sandwich, back turned away from them. "God knows you deserve them."

The queens' heads snapped up at her comment, and then they share a smile, deeply moved by her casual remark. They laugh when Altheia grumbles under her breath.

"Still don't agree your husbands of choice though. Lucky bastards."

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE LOBBY, VOLTERRA CASTLE. AFTER DUSK. . .**

"_What!_" Bella cried. "What do you mean Altheia's disappeared!"

"_Signorina_, please answer the question. When did you last see the scholar?" Felix repeated impatiently. "Was she acting strangely? Did she give _any_ indication tha—"

"No!" Bella said strongly. "She would never run away! She has to be here _somewhere._"

"Master Marcus reported her missing and initiated a search for her immediate retrieval," Demetri informed her, and then muttered quietly. "Bella, are you _sure_ she didn't plan…"

"_Yes,_" Bella hissed, exasperated. "I last saw her at dinner yesterday, and she was normal as usual. Did you check the gardens? Her room? The library? She might just be—"

"I have scoured the grounds myself. Her scent has faded since the rain, and I cannot track her."

"I have to call Edward back from his scouting post. He can help..." Bella collapsed back onto her chair, mind reeling. "_Oh dio, _what if someone's _killed_ her?"

"Master Aro has summoned for the entire royal guard." Alec announced when he suddenly appeared next to Bella's desk. "Volterra is impenetrable as it is. He believes an insider has abducted the scholar."

"_Oh no_…" Bella paled further. "You don't mean…"

"Nobody can hide from Master Aro's gift," Demetri stated with the shake of his head. "I simply hoped it would not come to this."

"I can assure you," Alec confirmed plainly. "Before the day ends, one of the guards will be found guilty, and his death will be excruciating."

»»—- ❈ —-««

And so the royal guards were gathered in front of the kings, one at a time approaching the telepathic monarch to prove their innocence.

"Mele," Aro called for the next sentry, his eyes black and tempestuous. "Give me your hand."

She hesitates. "Master… I…"

"_Felix._"

The queensguard does not even hear Felix's movement until she is suddenly subjugated by him, forcefully overpowered into a genuflect, an unrelenting pressure on the back of her head. Her right arm was thrusted upward into Aro's reach.

Shocking the on-looking guards as Aro held her hands between his own, she cried, "Master! Please forgive me! I live to serve!"

"I see." Aro's expression is unreadable when he drops her hand. "How brainless of you."

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE QUEENS' CHAMBERS, THE TOWER, VOLTERRA. . .**

"…and _that's_ how much society has progressed since your self-mandated reclusion." The scholar finished her narration.

"Really!" Athenodora sounded pleased. "Women can vote and be elected to public office now!"

"How times change, indeed." Sulpicia breathed in amazement. "Dora, remember when Botticelli refused to teach us the arts because we were female."

"Yes, what a shame." Her sister replied. "But he was very delicious."

Altheia winced. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Before, only the Viking women could divorce their husbands!" Sulpicia cried.

_Uh-oh_. Warning bells rang in Altheia's mind. _Why do I feel like I just stepped on a land mine?_

»»—- ❈ —-««

After the downpour thundered outside the window, evening came.

"Where'd Mele go?" Altheia wondered aloud.

Sulpicia called for her attending guard, before coming up empty. The queens shared a silent, knowing look.

Athenodora sighed.

"Before we return you to the castle, I'm afraid we must admit something, _Aletheia,_" Sulpicia confessed. "We may have lied to you a _very_ tiny, teensy-weensy, _little_, little bit."

Athenodora cleared her throat. "We took you here because… we think it's the only way to get our husbands up here immediately. They've been avoiding us, you see. Always with their excuses. Fifty years is too much."

Now awkward, and a little bit scared at the prospect of the kings becoming angry at her, "Why?"

"Times and titles change," the fair-haired vampire replied vaguely. "Tough decisions must be made."

"I want to be brave like you, _dolcezza_. And in the recent years… I feel like something is calling me out there." Sulpicia admitted, caressing her cheek. "I hoped to keep you longer… but it looks like they've found you."

The doors to the queens' chambers burst open, revealing a disheveled-looking Marcus. Directly behind him were the inscrutable faces of Aro and Caius as their gazes rested on their wives.

Eyes zeroing in on the scholar and not even noting the presence of his sisters-in-law, Marcus strode into the room before pulling Altheia to his chest. Sulpicia and Athenodora stood frozen, equally dumbstruck, red eyes wide and unblinking.

"Yes, hello to you too, Marcus," the scholar mumbled against the king's dress shirt, trying to push herself free but to no avail. Giving up, she slumped against him. "Were you looking for me all afternoon. I was here the entire time."

"You're unharmed?" his voice was a thunder's rumble.

"Of course. Sully and Dora would never hurt me. I told you I'm _irresistible_." Altheia was smiling cheekily at him when she was finally allowed to step away. "They just wanted to talk to Aro and Caius, that's all. They've been bad husbands."

"Really. How unsurprising." Marcus turned his attention to his sisters-in-law. Eyes narrowing, he noted the drastic change in their Bonds.

With a warning look to his brothers, the brown-haired king led his student out of the chambers.

"Come. We need not be here for the hurricane."

_Stop exaggerating,_ Altheia mumbled to him as they made their way down the tower. _It's just a little rain._

»»—- ❈ —-««

"_What in the world were you even thinking, Athenodora?_" Caius' tone dripped with subtle rage as he paced around the sitting room. "The uproar you've caused…!"

"What else should I have done," his wife countered, arms crossed. "Waited sixty years before you had the courage to come up here?"

»»—- ❈ —-««

**ARO'S OFFICE, THE NORTH WING, VOLTERRA CASTLE. . .**

"_Sulpicia._"

A sigh. "Aro, please. Take my hand."

"You—!"

"Take my hand_._" A sad smile. "_Please_."

Aro does, and his face falls.

"Aro, my love… this is long overdue, don't you think?"

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE ROYAL GUARD COMMONS, EAST WING, VOLTERRA CASTLE. THAT SAME NIGHT. . .**

"_Mele was ordered by the queens to abduct the scholar?_" The incredulity in Afton's cry was apparent.

"No, no," Heidi corrected. "She was ordered to _distract_ Corin as _the queens themselves took her_."

"Bro," Santiago breathed, eyes wide. "That's _mad._"

"That's not all," Heidi whispered. "Just now, Corin was told to bring trunks of clothing and jewelry to the scholar's quarters. Apparently, the queens _gifted _them to her after what happened."

Jane remained silent at the end of the couch, not paying much attention to them. She was immersed in an online chess match.

"But what's going to happen to Mele?" Alec interrupted from beside his twin, intrigued.

"Well don't look at me," the alluring vampire jabbed her thumb to the direction of the commanding kingsguard at the corner of the room. "It's _his_ call."

* * *

*Translations for this chapter (Part I):  
bibliotheca - library  
_ dolcezza_ \- sweetheart  
_oh_ _dio_ \- oh god

* * *

Post Chapter Discussion (Part I)

REPEAT AFTER ME.

In this house, we do not scorn women.

In this house, we do not hate women.

And most importantly, in this house, we will give justice to the Volturi queens.

You guys will love part II, promise.

P.S. What's up with SM's misogynistic write up of her female characters. Esme is a domestic abuse victim and she loses her baby, Rosalie is brutally gang-raped and beaten before damning her into an immortality she didn't want, Jane was accused of being a witch and burned at the stake, Emily has a fucking scar on her face because her imprint mauled her, Sulpicia and Athenodora are literally drugged and locked up in a tower... CRINGE amirite HAH dont even get me started on what happens with Bella in Breaking Dawn Part I and JACOB IMPRINTING ON AN ACTUAL BABY IM SCREAMINGGGGG AhHH

P.P.S. Sorry about that first PS. What do you think is calling Sulpicia to the outside world?

P.P.P.S. Don't forget Demetri has something else scheduled into the calendar, it's something Bella thinks is horrible, and Altheia will definitely not like. _Hmmm..._


	11. Chapter VIII-II Hello, Welcome, Goodbye?

**Content W****arning**: please do not read Chapter 8 Part 2 if you are sensitive to blood/gore. Otherwise, proceed as usual.

* * *

**Chapter VIII: Hello, Welcome and... Goodbye?**

**Part II**

**THE THRONE ROOM, VOLTERRA CASTLE. THREE DAYS AFTER. . .**

_Signorina _Isabella Marie Swan was welding herself into Volturi history, whether she liked it or not. Taking over Gianna's obligations as coven secretary and interim spokesperson, she held in her hands the announcement that had over thirty of the coven members watching her with bated breath.

The thrones behind her were currently vacated, and that in itself implied that the documents she beheld were possibly apocalyptic. Ariana, the new understudy, assembled a lectern in front and center of the ornate hall.

When her wristwatch struck 11AM, Bella nodded to herself once and assumed her position on the lectern. Heartbeat calm, breathing even, and brown eyes facing forward, she spoke in a modulated voice.

»»—- ❈ —-««

_WHEREAS, Aro Volturi and Sulpicia Viti, and Caius Volturi and Athenodora Volturi, have reached the mutual decision to dissolve their marriages after careful consideration._

_WHEREAS, Sulpicia Viti and Athenodora Volturi have been released of all their official obligations to the Coven, and have been granted liberty to pursue independent lives upon settling the matters of shared properties and assets._

_WHEREAS, Aro Volturi, Caius Volturi, and Marcus Volturi remain to lead the Coven._

_WHEREAS, Mele Giovanco has been discharged from her obligations to the Royal Guard and the Coven after careful deliberation._

_WHEREAS, the Masters are confirming the induction of Miss Altheia Beneventi into the Coven, and have decided on the date of her transformation._

_SO PROCLAIMED._

_We ask that the Coven refrain from engaging in speculative comments on these matters. Pressing concerns arising from this announcement must be directed to the immediate superior of your branch of service._

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE ROYAL GUARD COMMONS, EAST WING, VOLTERRA CASTLE. . .**

"_Demetri._" Heidi marched up to the kingsguard later that day, expression positively murderous.

"Yes?" he looked up from his book.

"What's this I hear about an induction party for the human, and—" she hissed at him. "Why did I have to hear it from _Jane_ of all people?"

"Because I told Jane to tell you." The tracker grinned as he set his book aside, pulling out a bundle of invitations from his coat pocket and handing them over to her. "There. Make sure only those invited will know about it, _capisci?_"

Heidi almost squealed as she took the invites. "Nobody will miss this party. I can promise you now."

"Great," he muttered, noting the crazed glint in her eyes. "I just need help with everything else to make it happen."

"Consider it done," Heidi murmured distractedly as she scanned the separate guestlist. Eyes widening at the names at the bottom of the list, she sent him a knowing smirk.

"What?" the kingsguard smiled at her, blinking innocently.

"You_,_" Heidi tutted, smile stretching wider. "You're always up to no good."

Demetri hummed, returning to his book. "I can't possibly know what you mean."

* * *

**Ꮙ**

**_The Coven invites you_**

**_to the scholar's induction party._**

**_We have prepared a short, _**

**_bloody, and entertaining night_**

**_at the open courtyard._**

**_Come Sunday night._**

**_High honors await_**

**_those who prove their allegiance._**

**Ꮙ**

* * *

Altheia is lounging next to Marcus in the gardens when the news of the induction party finally reaches her. Her face was a study in mortification. Thinking she already knew, Marcus had showed her the small invitation each king had received from Heidi.

"So _that's_ what Bella was warning me about the other day," she whined. "Is this really necessary?"

Marcus was just about to answer when steps rounded the corner. Sulpicia and Athenodora emerged, greeting the pair warmly, before showing the scholar the invites they had received as well.

"We shan't dare miss it," Sulpicia promised.

"You were very considerate to think of us," Athenodora smiled. "It will give us the chance to spend some time with the others before we move to the Viti palace."

"Like a _despedida_ of sorts," Sulpicia beamed, before turning to Marcus. "Will Aro and Caius attend as well?"

"I suppose," he shrugged. "If they are no longer sulking."

The change in Altheia's expression is immediate, a determined smile overtaking her features. She pushed herself up from the grass bed, and dusted her slacks from dirt before running back into the castle, waving to the three as she left.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"Edward, Demetri, Bella." The scholar greeted as they convened at the kitchens. "You might wonder why I called you here."

"The induction party," they answered simultaneously.

"Well, of course, that." Altheia rolled her eyes. "I know you guys are behind it. I want to see the programme."

Demetri hesitated. "It's too late to call it off."

"I _know_," Altheia almost smacked him out of annoyance. "I just have… some ideas."

"…Fine."

»»—- ❈ —-««

**THE COURTYARD, VOLTERRA CASTLE GROUNDS. NIGHT OF THE INDUCTION. . .**

When the night of the celebration came, the open courtyard had been revealed to be redesigned by the team of organizers, earning awed expressions from the guests as they took their seats.

"How wonderful!" Aro said appreciatively as the coven leaders arrived at the scene, their group shortly followed by Sulpicia and Athenodora. The royal guards came to the courtyard directly after their shifts, explaining why most of the sentry were already seated at the patio chairs.

Sulpicia's smile was blinding as she surveyed the area.

A large, newly-constructed pergola spanned the open space of the courtyard, fairy lights and flowering vines cascading from its roof. The rustic pergola contained a wide, rectangular table draped with pristine, white fabric, accompanied by cushioned jute-woven chairs for the attendants. The trees and shrubs of the garden had been illuminated with colored lights, creating a mesmerizing ambience in the dark of night.

"Ladies and gentlemen, humans and vampires," Heidi's voice drifted across the courtyard as she spoke to the Coven. "We have prepared a simple treat for you tonight in celebration of _signorina_ Beneventi's addition to the family."

"Heidi and I will serve as the masters of ceremonies for tonight," Demetri hosted from beside her. "But before we start the event, we would like to remind everyone to be in their best behavior," he warned, earning jeers from the likes of Afton and Santiago. Renata giggled, hands clasped together in anticipation.

As the emcees took their spot amongst the guard, Altheia rose from her seat and made her way to the front.

"Everyone, thanks for coming. As Heidi stated, tonight's event is in celebration of my incarceration as the Volturi scholar." The guests chuckled. "However, instead of being preyed on like the usual, I wanted to play a dangerous game with all of you tonight."

Altheia nodded at Edward, who started handing out whiteboards and marker pens to each guest. When everyone finally received their items, she continued, "I was wondering, you see, if anyone in the Coven can rival my _thirst_ for knowledge."

At her signal, Bella and Ariana emerged from the sides, arranging four stainless dishes covered by heavy, metal lids on the wide table "Tonight, I will be asking four simple questions," the scholar said cryptically. "And if you answer correctly, you get a reward."

"You have four mysterious rewards—" Alec gestured to the covered dishes, and then looked on to the people around him. "—and twelve players, assuming that Heidi and Demetri aren't allowed to play."

"Correct. For tonight's game, the Masters, the Queens, the Kingsguard, and the Queensguard will play against each other, and only four from you will emerge victorious. No pressure, though. If you don't know the answer, you need not try and play." the scholar smirked. "But if you like, I'll allow your best guess… Shall we try the first question with the guards only?"

"Bring it on, human," Santiago taunted as he readied his board and pen.

Demetri slapped the back of his head. Hard.

"I meant. Bring it on, Altheia," he corrected, wincing.

"That's better," Demetri muttered.

"Right. This first question is easy so you'll only have ten seconds. Either you know it, or you don't. If you get it right, _this_ will be the corresponding prize."

Altheia's hand rested on the stainless lid of the leftmost dish.

"During the seventeenth century, an Italian, Baroque-style artist painted numerous portraits containing masters Aro, Marcus, Caius, and Carlisle, which are presently displayed in the north wing. What was the painter's name?"

Heidi laughed as Santiago slumped his head onto the table, groaning. "I should have known. It's the cryptic things you're going to ask about."

"It makes sense though," Alec murmured, pen resting on his lip. "She's the _scholar,_ Santiago."

"Time!" Demetri called at ten seconds. "Those with answers, show your boards please."

As Altheia scanned the names most of the guards had written, she laughed. "I said I'd accept your best guesses, but _really,_ Santiago? Van Gogh?"

"It's best that you learn now that he's the idiot of the family," Afton supplied. Santiago produces an offended sound from the back of his throat but doesn't refute Afton.

"Well, Master Aro? Who answered correctly?" the scholar queried.

"Why, dearest Chelsea did," the monarch replied good-naturedly. The guests turned to her board, which read _Francesco Solimena_.

"Take your prize, Chels," Heidi sniffed. "I'm a bit jealous."

The guard looked on as Chelsea made her way to her leftmost dish. Lifting the stainless lid, Chelsea's jaw dropped.

"_Dude,_" Santiago's voice was reverent now that he stared at Altheia. "You're a bit disturbed in the mind, aren't you?" Demetri smacks the back of his head again. "Hey! I meant it as a compliment. She can keep up with us."

"Thanks, Santiago. Congratulations, Chelsea. This prize was courtesy of Edward." Altheia's smirk deepened as Chelsea lifted the wine glass of warm, animal blood to her lips. "Mountain lion's blood. Relatively fresh."

"Oh my god, Chels." Renata breathed as Chelsea downed her prize. "What does it taste like?"

"Hmm… I still prefer human blood but," Chelsea thought about it as she returned to her seat, everyone's gazes fixed on her. Finally, she said, "It tasted… very interesting. Like delicious, spicy tofu."

"Dude, no offense," Afton interrupted. "But I really don't want to play for animal blood."

"Speak for yourself," Renata barked, squaring her shoulders as she gripped her board and pen. "I'm playing to win."

While Demetri glowered at Afton, the scholar simply shrugged. "None taken. It's fair if you don't want to play anymore. You can just watch." As Bella took away the first metal dish and wine glass, Altheia gestured to the three remaining rewards with a flourish. "But who says none of these are human blood?"

"_Bro,_" Santiago shook his head slowly as he stared at her, voice breathy. "You're definitely insane. I _like_ you."

"I can confirm that _at least_ one of the dishes has human blood," Ariana, the new understudy, whispered quietly from the sides. "Because I donated mine for tonight's game."

"Spoiler," Demetri muttered. Ariana pouted at him.

Judging from the darkened pupils of her party guests, Altheia knew the pin had dropped.

_The hunt was_ _on._

»»—- ❈ —-««

"For the second question, you only have ten seconds again. Either you know it, or you don't. Since the masters and the queens have been shown how the game works, they can participate now if they want to." the scholar cleared her throat. Sully and Dora smiled kindly when she regarded them.

"In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Southern vampire wars were fought by newborn armies," the scholar recounted.

"Oooh," Felix cooed. "I remember that. You should, too, Alec, Jane. The masters sent us to Texas and Mexico back then."

"Correct. The Volturi was called to put an end to the vampire wars of the south." Altheia tilted her head. "The question is: what was the name of the Texan vampire that concocted the newborn vampire epidemic during the Southern wars? Timer starts now."

"_Cazzo!_" Felix cursed, slamming his fist on the table. "I just killed him and didn't bother with the details."

"_Please _don't break the table." Heidi begged him before calling out, "Time! Show your answers please. Ooh, looks like someone got it right!"

"That's correct, Alec." The scholar affirmed. Felix groaned, cursing again. "His name was Benito."

"Heh. What do I get?"

Lifting the lid of the next dish, Altheia read the card that came with it. "Courtesy of Demetri, it says. '_Unsuspecting Gianna_'_?_"

Alec's hand darted out to take the glass before Felix could steal it.

"Swee-_eet!_"

»»—- ❈ —-««

"In the library, there is one whole row of journals dedicated to the Children of the Moon. However, accounts described them as more ape-like, rather than wolf-like. They are terrifyingly strong and fast, but even more so during the full moon. Master Caius hunted them to extinction."

The scholar glanced at the first vampire from the corner of her vision, face smug when she realized that the light-haired monarch was now interested in her game.

"You have one full minute to answer this question. How does one _kill_ the Children of the Moon?"

_Ugh,_ Renata despaired in her mind. _Master Caius was always ranting about them but I never paid attention because they're all dead now anyway. Come to think of it, did he ever…?_

Sulpicia's voice chimed. "I'll try my best guess then."

"You and me both," Athenodora chuckled as she scribbled on her board.

"Time's up!"

* * *

_Vampire venom_

_Venom and fire_

_Ripping its heart out?_

_Dismembering then setting it on fire_

_Silver bullets_

_Fire_

_Drying the wolf out in the sun?_

_Poisoned arrows_

* * *

Reading the answers, Atheia clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Looks like no one got it correctly."

"I'm disappointed in all of you," Caius bristled disdainfully from his seat. His brothers chuckled, but the guards cringed in sheepish looks. Dora flashed a knowing grin. "I have said _time and time again_ that their weakness is the essence of the Amaryllis flower. One can dismember their limbs and set them aflame _only after_ your claws have poisoned their system with the venom of the belladonna lily."

"Precisely!" Altheia giggled at his impassioned speech. "Since Master Caius knows, he shall receive—" When the scholar lifted the lid of the dish, Ariana grinned. The understudy lifted the tray and offered the wine glass to the light-haired monarch. "—the prized human blood instead. Courtesy of dear Ariana. Congratulations, Master Caius."

Pompously, Caius consumed the prize like wine, savoring the scent. Most of them smiling at the king's display, the guards cheered admiringly.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"For the last question, _anyone_ from the Coven can answer. Yes—even Heidi and Demetri." Altheia smiled cheekily at her guests as they narrowed their eyes at her. "Either you know it, or you don't. But everyone has a fighting chance."

"Since this event is in honor of my induction, I wanted to show you all how… _grateful_ I am to be part of your Coven." Whilst the human woman spoke, she uncovered the last tray from its gold, stainless lid.

Renata gasped.

Alec's jaw dropped.

"_Oh dio,_" Demetri breathed. "Is that what I think it is?"

"_You're fucking insane."_ _Smack! _"What? She is."

Biting her lip, Sulpicia savored the smell drifting from the wine glass. "Oh, that is _marvelous._"

Athenodora sniffed the air daintily, before her gaze hardened. "I see."

The darkened stare coming from everyone at the table made Altheia feel powerful.

"For the last question, you will be playing for _my_ blood." Altheia stated simply. "And since this is _my_ blood, the question will be about myself. I wonder… does the Volturi know as much as I do about them?"

"What a dangerous game we're playing," Marcus murmured from his seat, ruby eyes almost omniscient. "Pray tell, what is the question?"

"It's simple, but I'll give you all a hint, and thirty seconds to guess."

Altheia shivered under their stares, feeling giddy.

"My name is _Altheia_ Beneventi. I am the coven scholar, and I have resided in the castle for two months now. My initials are A. A. B." she paused for effect. "What is my middle name?"

»»—- ❈ —-««

"Fucking hell," Felix dropped his head to the table as twenty seconds passed. "She's been here for two months and I don't even have an idea."

"To be fair," Renata piped in. "It looks like everyone's guessing. Even the masters."

"Well it _has_ to be Greek," Heidi said thoughtfully. "Since her name's _Aletheia._"

"But she's Italian, so her middle name could be a local name," Demetri countered. Sulpicia hummed in agreement.

"Alright, time's up." The scholar called at thirty seconds, clapping her hands together. "Show me your guesses please."

* * *

_Anne_

_Agnes_

_Alexandra_

_Ambrose_

_Andrea_

_Amelia?_

_Anna_

_Adriana_

_Athena_

_Adelaide_

_Anastasia_

_Antonia_

* * *

Scanning the answers one by one, Altheia's eyes suddenly brightened when Jane, who had been quiet the entire night, turned her board at the very last moment.

Eyes crinkling as she laughed in delight, the scholar clapped her hands, congratulating Jane for knowing her entire name. Everyone's heads turned to read the answer of the petite blonde.

* * *

_Altheia __**Abrielle**__ Beneventi_

* * *

Jane stood from her seat and darted to the front before taking the wine glass between her fingertips. The guests clapped for her as she consumed the red liquid.

"Didn't you all know?" Jane smirked haughtily. "She's the youngest person Italy has ever admitted to the Bar. But you're retired now, aren't you?"

"Yes, but," Altheia barked out a laugh, highly impressed. "How do you know that?"

Placing the empty wine glass on the table not long after, Jane deadpanned, dangling her sleek phone in their faces.

"I Googled it."

Demetri had to restrain Santiago from lunging at the blonde across the courtyard.

* * *

_CHAPTER EPILOGUE_

After the celebration ended late into the night, and the crowd dispersed back to their respective rooms in the castle, the kings wordlessly led Sulpicia and Athenodora to the southern gates. Mele awaited the ladies at the exit of the fortress, having committed to serve the Viti heiress since her discharge from the Volturi coven.

"You don't have to leave so soon," Aro sighed sadly as Sulpicia stepped into the outside.

"The Viti palace is so near, Aro. I'll still be around." Sulpicia smiled at him softly as she turned to the plaza mayor, admiring the Volterran aesthetic. "Don't worry about me too much. I'll be fine."

Next to them, Athenodora bid her former companion farewell. Caius, looking unusually subdued as their hands parted, grumbled under his breath, "Don't make trouble for me."

Dora laughed, taking her place next to Sulpicia. "I wouldn't dare, Caius."

"You'll write to us, won't you?" The Viti heiress glanced meaningfully at Marcus. "Write to us about _anything at all_. Like, you know, a certain human..."

"I will solely write to you about my brothers' affairs," Marcus replied monotonously, eliciting their giggles. Aro and Caius glared at him. "Shall we accompany you to your new residence?"

"No," Athenodora replied. "We will stroll the city by ourselves. Since we are free women now," she added teasingly. Caius huffed.

As they walked into the city, and the shadow of the castle faded behind the buildings and monuments of Volterra, Sulpicia marveled at the city lights. It seemed that her home only became more beautiful over the years she spent in hiding.

"Dora, look at the—"

"Sully, watch where you're—"

Athenodora warned her too late, and she had walked straight into a human man.

Apologizing profusely, she mumbled, "Sorry, _signore. _I was not watching my step."

"It's fine," the man replied huskily, before tilting his head. "Wait. You speak English."

"Oh," Supicia blinked at him, noting his American accent. "Are you a tourist?"

"No, I'm just here for my daughter," he responded, scratching the back of his head. "This is embarrassing. I wanted to surprise her, but in the end, I got lost because I don't speak any Italian. Do you know the way to _Hotel Etruria_?"

Before Sulpicia could respond, Mele interrupted the two and gave him the directions instead, pointing it out in his travel map.

_What an unlucky man,_ Athenodora said under her breath, too low for the human to hear. _To meet our kind on his first day here._

"Alright," The American thanked them. "You've been very helpful. I'll see you around."

But Sulpicia couldn't possibly let him leave yet. She had a _feeling,_ deep in her bones… like… like he was…

He was…

"What did you say your name was again?" Sulpicia chimed as the man turned to leave.

"Oh, I forgot to say." Flushing under her gaze, the foreigner sent her an awkward smile and offered his hand. "My name's Charlie Swan, ma'am."

"Charlie Swan," she echoed, shaking his hand softly. Her smile widened as she turned to face him fully. Chocolate brown eyes shone at her as streetlights finally illuminated her charming face. _"Piacere. _My name's Sulpicia Viti."

* * *

*Translations for this chapter:  
_signorina - _miss  
_Cazzo! - Fuck!  
despedida - _a farewell celebration  
_oh dio - _oh god  
_piacere - _ nice to meet you

**Version 27 Apr 2020**


	12. Chapter IX: A Brewing Storm

**Chapter IX: A Brewing Storm**

**OREGON, WASHINGTON. ONE YEAR AGO. . .**

_"__See you next term, Biers!"_

_"__Yeah, yeah. See you."_

_The freshman adjusted the strap of the messenger bag hanging from his shoulder as he exited the pub._

_"__Great," he ran a hand through his blond hair. "I forgot my fucking umbrella."_

_Riley hadn't really expected to be dragged out for drinks after his night class, but hey, they were celebrating the end of their freshman year, so he figured it couldn't possibly hurt to go out with his peers once in a while. Before he even realized, one drink turned into another and he was inebriated past midnight._

_Riley huffed, bracing himself before setting off into the dimming pathways leading to the bus stop. He squinted past the heavy rain and braved through the dark streets; the ends of his jeans soaked wet with mud and rainwater. A little woozy from the alcohol, he took some wrong turns and ended up near the docks._

_Realizing his predicament, he halted his steps and shielded his face from the torrent with the back of his hand. The stores around him were closed, and he couldn't see anyone he could ask directions from. His head was pounding now, and the storm was getting harsher by the second. Before he could take off into another run, he saw a blur of orange hair in the darkness. A feminine laugh echoed in the dark._

_A shiver ran up his spine. "Who's there?" he called out. Laughter again._

_Not even a minute later, Riley was on the cobblestone floor, writhing from an inexplicable pain emerging from the side of his neck, his piercing screams swallowed by the hum of the thunderstorm._

_"__H-Help…!"_

* * *

**FORKS, WASHINGTON. THE DAY BELLA LEFT FOR ITALY. . .**

When Charlie Swan came home from the Harry's funeral, he was expecting to see the silhouette of his daughter as she prepared dinner by the kitchen window, _not_ a sullen-faced Jacob Black in his driveway. He shut off his car and got off, eyeing warily at the mechanical monstrosity that was Jacob's motorcycle as he marched up to his porch.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, kid," Charlie muttered tiredly to the teen. "But if Bella's not welcoming you in the house you should probably take a hint. Alice is staying over."

"They're not in the house, Charlie," Jacob frowned at him. "But Bella did leave you a message."

"What?"

Charlie strode into the house and Jacob followed after him. He reached into his jacket and saw his phone unresponsive—battery probably died mid-shift and he was too preoccupied to check—and fumbled with the charger when he reached the living room. When the screen lit up again, the town chief cursed under his breath.

_21 missed calls_

_8 messages_

* * *

_**[5:12PM]** Dad_

_**[5:20PM]** Dad pick up_

_**[5:30PM]** Dad. There's a family emergency with the Cullens and I need to go with Alice_

_**[5:31PM]** Edward's in trouble and we're going after him_

_**[5:35PM]** Dad? I'm calling your phone_

_**[5:40PM]** I don't know where we're going yet exactly but I have my passport with me and please answer?_

_**[6:38PM]** Dad pick up near boarding soon, phone at 11% I forgot my charger_

_**[7:29PM]** Pulled pork in the microwave for dinner and please don't be mad at me I did try to call? We're boarding now I'll call you as soon as I can?_

* * *

Charlie sighed, head falling back onto the headrest as he watched all his calls drop before they could even connect. He leaned back onto the cushion and shut his eyes, allowing his mind to rest and minutes to pass in silence, until…

"…what? Aren't you angry? Charlie, she left _just like that._" Jacob whined and paced around the room. "You know she's probably chasing _him_ outside the country, right? And what's with—with suddenly showing up and pulling her back into their mess? They left her in the forest, for god's sake. Like they're not the reason why Bella's so fuc—"

"Jacob," Charlie cut him off, levelling him with a look. "You think I don't know that?"

Jacob quieted and watched as Charlie shook off his jacket. The chief unclipped his firearm from his side before setting it down onto the coffee table.

"You think Bella doesn't know that?"

"Charlie, I—"

"Jake, go home." The chief ordered exasperatedly. And then a little milder, "Billy's grieving and it's not pretty back there. You need to _go home_." When it looked like Jacob was still going to argue, Charlie continued, "I'm thankful you're looking out for Bella, Jake, I am. But _my daughter _is not your responsibility, alright?"

Charlie collapsed onto his couch and threw an arm over his face. Jacob let out a frustrated sigh but wisely stepped away from him. From his place on the couch, Charlie could hear reluctant steps, the opening and closing of the front door, and the revving of Jacob's motorbike to life as he sped down the street.

Charlie was so, so _tired_.

Finally alone and undisturbed, he allowed himself to succumb to the fatigue and exhaustion. In just a matter of days, the peace he'd worked so hard to get back was taken from him. The town was already so unsettled with the reports of disappearances and murders. But then Harry's heart had gone ahead and gave up on him the day after they led a manhunt in the woods, and Charlie had lost a brother when he'd died. And now, even his home life was falling apart yet again.

Was stability really too much to ask? Was peace?

Before sleep claimed him, his thoughts drifted to the image of his daughter. Everyone said she resembled him. But when she left, she had the tendency to take everything with her and leave him picking up after the pieces. Just like Renée.

* * *

The next morning, Charlie wakes up on the worn-out sofa with a sore neck. The telephone starts ringing and he's up in seconds.

"Bella?" His voice is hoarse.

"Ah, no, Chief Swan," It's Officer Todd from the station. "We need you down here ASAP. There's another body—they found it at the creek. Call came in half an hour ago, but ranger confirmed it just now."

He rubs a hand down his face. "Who's at the scene?"

"None yet sir. They closed it off for you."

"Forensics?"

"I'll call them up after this, sir."

"Good."

That night, when he's holed up at the station after sending everyone home, he allows himself to start thinking about Bella again. She still hadn't rung, and his calls still weren't pushing through. Where in the _hell_ was his daughter?

* * *

What good was he of a town chief, a father?

He felt so useless, and so, _so_ tired.

* * *

Charlie doesn't let his thoughts eat away at him. At least not yet. He reminds himself that people were waiting on him. Parents, just like him. Friends and family, grieving, just like him.

When Bella does call, it's twelve hours later, and he feels himself let go.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"I'm going to stay here, dad." His mind turns blank and he doesn't speak for what could've been minutes, hours. "Dad?"

A grunt. "Is that what you want?"

* * *

Just like Renée.

* * *

He takes every word with a grain of salt and pushes it to the back of his mind. If he dwells on it any more, he'll start spilling at the seams, and he doesn't do that.

He can't afford to.

* * *

Officer Todd places a file on his desk. Another kid missing.

"Chief Swan, everything alright at home?"

He doesn't look up.

* * *

"Chief, just want to let you know Dr Cullen's moving back here with his family. He'll be reinstated as coroner."

"I see."

"Also, Billy Black called earlier, sir, he's asking if you'll be dropping by the reservation soon?"

"We'll see."

* * *

It's not so difficult to revert back to his solo days. His home life is quiet. Bella calls almost every day, and she's found a job there. She sounds… content. He barely hears anything he says to her.

Sleep, take-out, station, sleep. Life's a cycle, isn't it?

* * *

"Chief Swan."

"Dr. Cullen."

* * *

It takes exactly two months since Bella's departure before anything really reaches him again. On that day, despite the hurricane, multiple search parties composed of cops, rangers, natives, and volunteers prowled the woods in hopes of finding clues on the perpetrator. The telltale rumble of a shotgun being fired has them running, and the groups converge at the scene—Officer Reaser, on his back, smoke wafting from his gun barrel, a wild, distraught look on his face.

"It's a beast, chief, it's a fucking monster," Reaser says to him again and again, hysterical. "The size of three bears, I saw it, I saw it, I saw…"

"Catch your breath," he hears one of the kids from the reservation say to the officer as they help him up to his feet. "Easy does it. What did it look like?"

Reaser's eyes were blown wide. Charlie immediately removed the shotgun from Reaser's shaking grip. Charlie kept his gaze on the young cop from his station, even if he kept repeating the same words over and over until he dropped him home.

Charlie wonders if it's not just him losing his mind.

»»—- ❈ —-««

"What's the latest number, Swan?"

It's the governor.

"432 in Washington, sir," he replies into the phone. "But only 30 bodies have been recovered."

»»—- ❈ —-««

The storm hasn't stopped when he arrives home past midnight. He takes off his gear and creates a trail of rainwater as he makes his way up the stairs and into the shower. He relishes the feel of warm water against his skin until a stinging sensation pulls his attention to his left leg.

_Shit._

There's a deep gash on it, almost nine inches long, spanning the tip of his ankle through the length of his limb. It's somewhat clotted but the slightest pinch has the wound opening and bleeding again; lines of red clashing against the white tiles of the bathroom as they swirl down into the drain. He probably hadn't noticed when he'd gotten caught in a barbed wire trap as he was trekked through the woods earlier.

_Damn_. _It's deep_. _Definitely needs stitches._

He throws on some clothes and makes his way to the front door. It's raining still, and he's halfway out the door when he hears the unmistakable creak of the floorboard to Bella's room.

Charlie pauses and listens.

_There it is_—another creak, again. Somebody was in Bella's room. No doubt about it.

Taking slow, deep breaths, Charlie quietly moved to where he'd left his gear bag in the living room. He pulled out his pistol, detached the magazine and checked the load before making his way up the stairs in soft, careful steps.

The storm is in his favor, he thinks, and the intruder won't hear him coming. Alighting the flight of stairs, he braces himself when finds the door to his daughter's room ajar, light peeking through in the dark.

Kicking the door open, Charlie comes face to face with a red-eyed, pale-skinned man, hovering over her daughter's bed. The man turns to him, eyes now oddly transfixed on his leg. It takes some effort with the bad lighting, but Charlie recognizes him in seconds—the Biers' boy.

"Riley Biers?" his voice is incredulous. "You're Riley Biers."

_Bad drugs and bad company,_ Charlie thinks. The boy is soaked in rain, pale as death and his eyes are wild red, mouth opening into a snarl. _But why is he here?_

"Riley, your father's been looking for y—"

Charlie manages to fire an entire round of bullets in rapid succession when Riley pounces on him, catching the teenager by surprise. His heart stops when Riley all but chuckles at him, plucking off the bullets from his skin like lint. Riley flashes sharp teeth at him in a menacing sneer.

_What the fuck?_

Charlie doesn't think twice and runs, throws himself down the staircase before Riley can pounce on him again. He can't feel his left leg when he pushes himself up from the fall, much less when he manages to crawl out the backdoor.

The ground was muddy from the rain and seeped into his clothes as he pulled himself through the earth. Harsh pelts of rain stung his back and his face as he crawled away from the house and into the woods. From the corner of his eye, he saw Riley emerge from the backdoor, red gaze finding him easily, focused on him even though it was almost pitch black out. He flips to shield himself with his arms when Riley lunges at him, only one face in his mind.

* * *

Bella really did have his eyes.

* * *

Charlie's scream catches in his throat when a monstrous, russet beast tackles Riley mid-air, barely an arm's length away from his face. He's shivering on the ground, eyes wide, seeing and unseeing at the same time as he traced the silhouettes of pale skin and brown fur clashing in the dark. Charlie startles and flings himself behind a large stump when two more beasts emerge from the woods.

Lightning strikes, and he's not sure whether it's thunder or growling that he's hearing next to him. He hears a solid cracking sound and turns his gaze back—just in time to see Riley's head bitten off from his body. One of the beasts—wolves, he could see that now, with the rain clearing and allowing the moon to illuminate the area behind his house—_transformed _into a bare, naked human and started a fire. One by one, the wolves turn into men and they throw Riley's body parts into the fiery pit.

One of the men turns his head to Charlie's direction, and Charlie loses himself to shock.

_Jake?_

* * *

When all is done, Sam turns his attention to the sorry state of a man leaning against the tree, muddled, battered, and bleeding.

"Chief Swan, I know you have questions," he says gently. "But first, you need medical attention. Can you walk?"

The chief of police doesn't find enough strength in his bones to stand.

"I don't think the hospital's a great idea. Bringing Charlie there will cause a scene," Sam tells Jacob. "You have the Cullen doctor's number, don't you?"

"Don't tell me you're thinking of—!" Paul snaps, but simmers down when a loud cry erupts from Charlie as he attempts to stand. There's blood gushing from his leg and the side of his head.

"Tell the Cullens that Chief Swan needs a house call from the doctor," Sam barks. "Now."

* * *

Jacob was a wolf.

* * *

"Kids are phasing left and right, Charlie. Something big's happening. And with what just happened at your house, I'm thinking the Cullens know something." Sam said as he cleaned the gash on his leg next to the faucet. "You'll be alright, Charlie."

Would he?

"Sam," Jacob called out from the hallway. "The doctor's here."

* * *

"Nine stitches on the leg, four on the side of his head, no concussion." Carlisle says.

"Are you sure?" Paul huffs.

"Yes." There's pity and guilt in the doctor's eyes. "The events were too traumatic for him. When the shock wears off, he'll be in a lot of pain. Bruises all over."

Charlie can't even form a sentence.

"I'll give him something for sleep," he watches the syringe sink into his skin and suddenly it's dark.

* * *

So.

The Quileute are wolves and they hunt vampires.

Personally, Charlie doesn't fault Billy for not telling him, but it really puts into consideration how much more dangerous Forks is. The Biers kid… the disappearances… the corpses…

It all starts making sense.

* * *

The Cullens are vampires, but they don't drink humans.

Bella, bless his daughter, found out during the car accident at the university parking lot last year. She'd gone ahead and dated Edward even though he wasn't human.

It was exactly like her to stumble upon the worst kind of trouble there was.

* * *

"So… you're a wolf." Charlie huffs.

"Don't like me for Bella anymore, huh?" Jake smirks at him.

"Now when did I give you the impression I ever did?"

"That's harsh, Chief."

* * *

When he can finally walk, Charlie decides to drive up to the Cullen residence with Jacob. Alice doesn't see them coming, naturally, but Carlisle welcomes him all the same.

"You have some questions for us, Chief Swan?"

"A few. But on the top of my head," he replies, matching Carlisle's gaze. "Why is my daughter in Italy?"

Carlisle and Alice share a look. Esme sighs.

"Is it because she's safe there?" he asks.

He was _that_ lousy of a father and a cop. Couldn't protect the town or his daughter.

He could accept that.

* * *

"Tell him the truth, Carlisle." Rosalie's voice rings out as she descended the staircase. "If there's anyone we've wronged… If there's anyone we should apologize to. It's him."

"Rose…"

"No, Carlisle." Rosalie turned to him. "I'm sorry, Charlie, but _this_ is reality. Vampires exist. Werewolves exist." Rosalie's voice is shaking in anger. "You're just another human in the middle of it."

* * *

It's six hours later—when he can't eat or sleep and can't even begin to _think _after they've told him _everything_—that he packs his bags and takes the first flight out to Italy.

* * *

**Post Chapter Discussion**

Charlie Swan isn't just in Volterra, he's in Volterra because _he knows_ and _something big is happening_.

Alright. So let's get this out here: this chapter is full of parallels.

The first parallel is how Charlie was left in his house, all alone in Forks, by his ex-wife and took his daughter with her. He 'anchored' himself into his career and made it to sheriff, but then his daughter comes back, and it's all worth it and happy at the start until her daughter's a zombie and the moment she's feeling better about herself, she chooses to leave Forks (as he was mourning). Like Charlie hadn't been putting in all his effort into making the town a place for his _ family_ even when they'd left him the first time. It's a huge blow to his person and peace of mind.

The second parallel is actually between Charlie and Bella. Even though Charlie's convinced that Bella only takes after his looks and gets her 'essence' from Renee, that's not really true. We all know they share a certain personality, but it's actually in the zombie-like detachment that they lose themselves to in response to the abandonment that I chose to show that their father-daughter combo has essential similarities seen beyond the eye. It's all very painful, but it's a coping mechanism that they revert to to survive. And Charlie is a way better pretender than Bella- he manages to go to work and eat and sleep, brain-dead yes but managing nonetheless. It's strength and weakness at the same time. Although I can admit that Bella is fighting her own trauma and demons, _Charlie is allowed to resent her choices_ even if he loves her. And that's the other thing I might not be able to show in parallel in the future, so I'll lay it out here: Charlie and Bella share their unsurmountable capacity to accept and love beyond understanding. Bella with Edward despite all the pain, and Charlie with Renée even after the divorce, even if she never gave him a reason for leaving. Insert sad face here.

Let's move onto the last, and most important parallel. Charlie sort of 'wakes' from his trance when the supernatural truth is revealed and he disanchors himself from the world he's known for the past forty-something years. He leaves Forks, just like his daughter and his ex-wife. What exactly is he planning to do, now that he's been told the truth? Did he choose Forks (his sanity, his anchor), his family (Bella), or his peace of mind (himself)? Why does his choice bring him to Volterra? What the hell does the Volturi and Sulpicia have anything to do with it?

As a closing reminder, I want to reiterate that Charlie is so fucking strong emotionally and mentally and physically. Charlie is not Bella, despite being mirror images of each other. He's not suicidal and he's not dumb. He's just tired and sick of drama. He has a plan. What he just doesn't have is _someone who chooses to stay with him *INSERT GROSS SOBBING SOUNDS HERE*_

Anyway, you'll find out in the next chapter. So many things in the works, so many twists and decisions waiting to happen. Thanks for staying with me until here.

* * *

**For Twilight fanfiction readers, writers, and artists alike:** I've made a discord server where we can meet each other and hang around. Everyone in the fandom is welcome. Get to know the people behind your favorite fics, the readers cheering you on, or even the artists who breathe life into your characters. The discord server link is ** discord .gg/qKjcTRb** and we're waiting for you to join us!


	13. Chapter X: Moving In

**For Twilight fanfiction readers, writers, and artists alike:** I've made a discord server where we can meet each other and hang around. Everyone in the fandom is welcome. Get to know the people behind your favorite fics, the readers cheering you on, or even the artists who breathe life into your characters. The discord server link is ** discord .gg/qKjcTRb** and we're waiting for you to join us!

* * *

**YOU GUUUYS AAaAAhhh I uploaded AIV this week in wattpad and ao3 to preempt any plagiarism concerns (as the trend with other authors who have had their OC!fics stolen lately). I opened the app again and AIV is number! one! number one! for the Aro Volturi tag and number two! for the Volturi tag on wattpad! I am absolutely THRILLED and was inspired by the avalanche of kudos and comments and favorites on both platforms. YALL MAKE A GIRL HAPPY**

**Needless to say, I threw myself into writing and finishing this chapter as a big thank you for all your reviews and messages! Please check the announcement at the bottom!**

**As usual, with lots and lots and lots of love, Reveri x**

* * *

**Chapter X: Moving In**

_Of three things I am absolutely sure. . ._

_First, that hidden in the far-flung town of Volterra is a clandestine sanctuary for immortals. An ancient, guarded fortress obscures itself from prying eyes and is inhabited by a coven of vampires. The coven calls themselves the Volturi, and they govern the rest of the vampire world with an iron fist. Shrouded in raw power and authority, the Volturi dedicate themselves to concealing vampire existence from human knowledge, even if it means using their talents to end the lives of their own kind._

_Second, that vampires are beautiful creatures lost in time. In their existence rests a bottomless well of knowledge, but the loneliness and heartlessness evolving from the consumption of liquid, human life turned them into vicious, formidable monsters of lore. Vampires yearn for companionship in their detached unlife, and a sense of belonging in an ageless, deathless world gives them purpose._

_Third, that I am a human gripped with these secrecies, and my existence amongst the Volturi poses a dangerous tread to the dark unknown. In between the confines of shelves stocked with the antique works of the masters, I often find myself wondering why I allow myself to be lured by books and stories from the likes of ancient men when what I crave for is life… living. I now fear that my fascination lies beyond what I am capable of understanding. . . ._

**_A. A. B._**

* * *

**THE WEST WING, VOLTERRA CASTLE. PRESENTLY. . .**

_Tap… tap… tap… tap…_

Altheia tossed fitfully on her bed as incessant tapping sounds pulled her into consciousness, stirring her from sleep earlier than she would have liked. She emerged from underneath the thick comforter and pushed herself upright, brows knitted and eyes squinting as they adjusted to the daylight.

_…__tap… tap… tap… tap…_

Realizing that the taps sounded awfully close to her person, the woman only had to turn her head to the left to meet the unwanted noisemaker in her room.

What the _hell?_

"You." Her voice was coarse but frosty nonetheless. "Why are you in my room."

Her gaze focused on a vampire sitting languidly on her mahogany study table with a book in one hand, cross-legged, the tip of one leather shoe knocking on the side of the desk. _Tap… tap… tap… tap…_

The woman glowered at Caius Volturi, who seemed unbothered by his own behavior. Oddly enough, he was dressed in a navy linen shirt and a pair of beige trousers, as opposed to the three-piece suit usually donned underneath the masters' cloaks. The fact that vampires had the audacity to look like Greek gods in their casual outfits and made it look so effortless in the morning only added to her annoyance. Why did vampires keep showing up in her room at sunrise anyway? At least Sulpicia had the decency to _knock…_

Altheia contemplated chucking her bedside lamp at the vampire.

"Master Caius," she said through gritted teeth. "Why are you in my room."

But like the first time, it was as if she hadn't said anything, and the vampire continued to ignore her as he read. She let out a long-suffering groan before rolling back to bed. Determined to ignore the intruder for a few more hours of oblivion, Altheia pulled the blanket over her head and shut her eyes closed. As soon as she started to fall asleep…

_…__tap… tap… tap…_

She bolted upright, eyes ablaze with annoyance. "_What. Do. You. Want._"

"Want?" the figure across from her finally spoke. "Blood."

Caius turned his head to assess the disgruntled woman. With her rat's nest hair, sleep-deprived eyes, and pale, surly face, she really was anything but threatening. What exactly did his brothers see in this human again? Initially he had opted on finding out as the opportunity presented itself, but recent events proved that the bookish human had been able to obtain the tolerance, not only of his brothers, but certain members of the guard as well. All without his knowing. He had expected one of the sentries to slip from control, given the natural scent of blood drifting from the woman, but it seemed that the discipline amongst them had improved.

Unfortunately.

Another aspect to consider was the series of drastic changes spurring from the scholar's arrival. Her _scent. _Marcus' behavior. The strange thirst. Aro's scheming. Athenodora's departure. The comfort of his stagnant unlife perturbed by one mediocre bibliophile.

Unacceptable.

"Bloo—wait a minute," the woman's voice raised into a screech. "Are you—Are you reading _my diary?!"_

An unmistakable crash and the sound of breaking glass followed the next second. Most regrettably for the sleep-deprived woman, vampires had an astonishingly rapid reaction time for incoming projectiles.

"_How dare you! Che te pozzino ammazza!"_

»»—- ❈ —-««

Rage boiling under her skin, Altheia marched out of the dormitories and headed for the northern chambers, with the intruder-in-question following just ten steps behind her. Arriving at her destination, she pushed the doors to Aro's office with a flourish. Surprise registered in the telepathic vampire's face as she stomped into the room and up to his desk.

"To what do I owe this visi—"

"Aro," the brunette cut him off and placed both palms on his desk sharply. "I am human. I need sleep to function. Do you agree?"

Expression turning into one of bewilderment, Aro noticed the presence of his snow-haired brother in the hallways, leaning against the doorframe of his office. He answered warily, "Yes, I agree."

"A vampire trespassing into a woman's bedroom and declaring his thirst for blood is cause for concern and immediate intervention. Do you agree?"

An amused grin made its way onto Aro's face as his student's words clarified the situation.

_Oh brother. _He smothered a snicker with the back of his hand. "Why yes, I agree."

"Good," Altheia leaned back and crossed her arms, seemingly satisfied. "Would it be possible for you to remind the coven that this human expects to be treated with _propriety_?" she emphasized. Caius scoffed from his place by the doorway and the woman whipped around to throw him a harsh glare.

Clearing his throat in attempt to conceal his laughter, Aro replied, "I will inform the coven if that is your wish."

"You're making fun of me!" Altheia accused him, cheeks reddening. "This isn't funny, Aro! I woke up and he was in my room, _on my desk_, reading my _diary!"_

The telepath was trying very hard to school his expression, but when the disgruntled woman turned her attention back to his brother and then launched into a creative string of Italian expletives, Aro knew he had to intervene before the morning could get any livelier.

"Now, now, children," he placated the two. "In the interest of propriety, perhaps resume the bickering after _merendina_ has dressed for the day? Perhaps after breakfast?"

As if Aro's words sobered her, Altheia eased and looked down at her clothes. A second passed, and then two, before a horrified look took over her face.

In her haste, she had marched to the north wing barefoot, scantily dressed in her sleeping clothes—a mere satin slip that did no favors in obscuring the figure underneath. Automatically, she threw her arms around herself to shield the silhouette of her chest from view.

But Caius was relentless. His red gaze followed the woman as she ran out of the office in mortification, "Bit too late for propriety now, don't you think?"

"_A fanabla!"_

»»—- ❈ —-««

After both men tore their gazes away from the woman's retreating figure, Aro shook his head as his eldest brother seated himself on the divan with a nonchalant expression.

"You've always been the most barbarian of us all," Aro remarked, laughing lowly and promptly returning to his bookkeeping.

Caius shot him a look before taking out a brown notebook from the back pocket of his trousers.

_Is that….?_

Aro's eyes widened in disbelief before he burst out laughing. "Truly a barbarian," Aro teased him. "You'd think you would have returned it to her possession after her tirade."

"Your little _merendina_ threw a bedlight at my person," Caius said offhandedly as he twisted the word under his breath.

Aro paused from his reading. _Did she really? _He itched to view the memory.

"I find that a woman's attention is divided in her waking hours." Caius smirked. "When she realizes, she will come running to me in search of it."

_Oh dear,_ Aro pursed his lips. _Caius is in a playful mood._

"Although I understand the sudden interest," Aro muttered. "Perhaps it is time to reacquaint yourself with human needs and limits? And how will you explain this to Marcus? I am sure he heard her shouting and will be asking questions."

The scowl on Caius' face was telling. Aro placed his ledger away with unusual promptitude.

"Now let me read that before any of those two arrive."

»»—- ❈ —-««

To bottle down her mortification, Altheia spends the rest of her morning secluded in the west wing. After lunch, she busied herself with laundry and sorting through the trunks of clothes Sully and Dora left with her the week before. As she sorted through the last of the items in the trunk, she found a velvet jewelry box. Peering inside, she gaped at the delicate, pear-shaped sapphire necklace resting on beige silk. Diamonds traced the shape of the sapphire and its chain was plated in rose gold.

_To Altheia Volturi,_ the card attached to it read. _May you find happiness in Volterra. S&A _

Altheia smiled softly and clasped the chain around her neck. She would thank them next time.

After cleaning and organizing her room, she headed for the kitchens and met with Bella, who had just come from her shift. They chatted around as they prepared their meal together.

"Bella, now that I think about it," Altheia said as she test-tasted the pasta sauce. "Shouldn't you be readying your transfer credentials for Pisa? It's application season."

"I need to meet with my dad about it though." Bella replied thoughtfully. "Maybe this month."

"Oh. When's he coming over?"

"I'm planning to ask him about that but he hasn't picked up my calls since Saturday. Charlie's probably swamped with work. He's chief of police," Bella explained and then sulked. "I hope he's been eating well…"

"You can still go home, you know," Altheia nudged Bella with her hip and made her way to the dining table with the serving plate in tow. "Spend more time with your dad. Take life easy," she suggested.

Bella paused thoughtfully. "I guess, yeah…"

"But the real question is what's happening with you and Edward," the older woman laughed as she sat down. "Really. You had his room transferred to the east wing. Don't even deny it, Marcus told me."

"It's not what you think. Some distance is good, you know? Gives me space to think." Bella said stiffly, helping herself to dinner.

"Hmmm. Really now," Altheia had a smug look on her face as she ate and it made Bella uncomfortable. "Are you sure it's not because of… a certain guard? Last night at the party you were making heart eyes at—"

"_Shhhhh!"_ Bella pushed a fork of spaghetti into Altheia's mouth and whipped around the room to see if anyone overheard. "_Altheia!"_

"Oh my god. It's not just paperwork keeping you busy!" Altheia accused after she chewed and swallowed the pasta so quick Bella thought she'd choke. "Are you dating_ both of them?_ I turn my eyes away for one month—_"_

"_Altheia! Shut up!"_

After eating and watching Bella almost sprint to the privacy of her room, Altheia decided that she had postponed enough and geared herself towards the kings' chambers. On her way there, she noticed that the corridors were sparser than usual and not one guard was stationed at the hallways of the north wing. _Weird._

Altheia sounded three knocks on the chamber door and waited until a voice replied, "Enter."

She was met by the single presence of Caius Volturi as he lifted his head from the files he was preoccupied with and turned to regard her.

"You will not find my brothers here," he informed her with a levelled stare. "Sulpicia called for them. They are at Palazzo Viti."

_Hmm, he's civil._

"That's fine, I think." The woman replied after a moment and took a deep breath before walking farther into the chambers. Caius raised a brow at her and she explained, "Aro can see for himself that Sulpicia's doing well, Marcus is moving around again and… I'm not here for them."

"Oh?" Caius leaned back on his leather chair and placed his fingers under his chin.

The scholar sighed and gestured to the armchair across him. "May I?"

Caius stared blankly at her for a moment, as if gauging her intentions.

_Hmm, she's civil._

Eventually though, he nods.

»»—- ❈ —-««

Caius allows the human to collect her thoughts, opting to work in silence as she settled into the armchair and tucked her feet underneath her. What would she decide to start with? The glaring issue of her mortality? The unease between them stemming from his tendency for violence?

"This morning," she blurted out suddenly. "What was that about?"

Ah. That. Of course.

"Curiosity," he said with a shrug. "My brothers offered you a place in the coven. Why keep you alive? What differs you?"

The inclusion of the Italian woman into the Volturi was anything unlike Aro's previous acquisitions. In the past, even Caius could understand his brother's whims. With Jane and Alec, the twins were not only human, they were also too young to be turned. However, the raw and undeniable power that exuded from the two, even when they were still human, served as the reason why he consented for Aro to circumvent the law and pursue the twins until they turned of age. After all, the Volturi's existence was devoted to law enforcement, and enforcement required power.

It was a worthy haggle in the end. Until this day, the presence of the twins safeguarded all aspects of their position as the tribunal coven. Jane and Alec were the missing pieces to Aro's quest for security, strength, and prestige. With the twins, they were invincible.

So, no. He genuinely could not comprehend why Aro was so fixated on the girl across him. At least, not in any way he could determine. It's true that, like the Cullens' pet, she was a potential shield, but that was no reason for Aro to prolong her human life and burden the coven with raising a student in the castle walls.

Nonetheless, the girl survived the first month and was inducted and he could no longer interfere. At the minimum, he was satisfied that she was capable of rational thought. That he didn't need to tolerate another idiot in his ranks. That the coven scholar stayed true to her title and spent countless hours slaving over the bibliotheca, treating the anthology of ancient works with the respect they deserved.

But he still couldn't understand. Why? Why were his brothers so intent on treating her differently? Why keep her alive?

"I don't think it's about being different. I'm just another human, after all." the woman answered quietly. "When Aro offered me to be the coven scholar, I knew that wasn't what he really wanted from me and… I think Marcus knows that." She smiled to herself. "Aro said that he'd teach me the sciences. That Marcus would teach me Philosophy. That you'd teach me art. But none of that has happened, and the reason why I don't say anything is because I know that wasn't what he planned for me at all."

When Altheia glanced up at his expression, she read his confusion and clarified, "Master Caius, I'm not here because Aro wants a student. Of course not—what need would he have for one? Calling me the coven scholar is probably just the most convenient excuse."

Frowning, Caius wondered to himself, "What use would Aro have for you?"

"I don't know what Aro wants from me. I don't know who Aro needs me to be," the woman admitted. "But with what he's given me… I'm more concerned for what he'll ask in return."

And then into the long period of silence that followed, Caius said, "And Marcus?"

The snow-haired monarch narrowed his gaze when the Italian's face softened at mere mention of his youngest brother's name. Caius scowled. Yes, that was another concern entirely, wasn't it?

"Marcus believes he's died twice since meeting you and Aro. First when he was turned, and again when he lost his wife. He told me he wished for the third for the longest time."

Caius averted his gaze and glared at the chamber walls. "It's not a secret."

"No, it's not. It's a curse, I think, that comes with becoming immortal. Losing what makes you human… Loneliness pulls you." Altheia sent a weak shrug in his direction. "But I know Marcus is more than the darkness that eats at him. If Aro's plans involve making me Marcus' companion, I'm happy to fulfill that purpose."

"You speak like a saint," Caius scoffed. "because you don't understand what monsters we've become."

"There's nothing wrong with being a monster. I've never faulted any of you for being what you are." Caius narrowed his eyes at the sincere statement. "All I'm saying is that's possibly why I'm here at all."

With a huff, the monarch wordlessly returned to his paperwork, and Altheia understood that the conversation was good and over for now. When she rose from her place on the armchair across him, Caius' arm darted unexpectedly and tossed an item to her direction. Almost dropping her diary before she caught it, Altheia glared at him.

"You could pretend to be ashamed, at least."

Caius gazed coolly at her. "Your insights were laughable."

"Charming," she replied dryly. "It's a wonder you're a divorcee."

"Get out of my sight."

»»—- ❈ —-««

After her dialogue with Caius in the convening chambers, instead for heading directly to the library, Altheia settled for wandering aimlessly around the hallways of the west wing. There was a different feeling in her bones as she passed through the corridors now— it felt like her roots were nestling into the marble of the halls, that her presence in the castle was no longer just a memory she'd look back on someday. She really was one of the Volturi now, and recalling the coven members' welcoming words for her during last night's party eased her self-doubt.

This was it then. Three years of hopping from one city to another, she was finally back home.

"Why don't you go around Volterra? You've been cooped up in here." Bella suggested when the scholar loitered around the interim secretary's bedroom in her boredom. "I'd go with you, but…" she cringed.

Unlike the scholar, Bella Swan was still considered to be a visitor and was bound by visiting rules. She still needed permission to go beyond the confinements of the castle and with Aro and Marcus away for the day, there was absolutely no way Bella would ask Caius. He'd slice her head off in an instant.

Altheia winced and headed for the door. "Right. I'll be out then. You want anything?"

"Why do you think I suggested anything?" Bella quirked a brow and shooed her out with the flick of a hand, "The earlier you leave, the faster my _zabaglione gelato _gets here."

"_Donna furba,_" The Italian threw her a look. "You're lucky I like the way you think."

She could still hear the echoes of Bella's laughter as she descended the stairs.

»»—- ❈ —-««

Volterra is a picturesque city preserved in time. Tones of brown, yellow, and green color its scenery, and the mixture of Etruscan, Roman, and medieval history describes the religious architecture of its buildings. Altheia's visited most of its tourist attractions—the museums, the cathedrals, the Roman theatre—and she knows how detached the city is from modern life that an awed expression makes its way onto her face when she delves farther away from the heart of the city and discovers a cocktail bar in the outskirts of town.

_"__La Buona Abitudine,"_ she reads the sign.

"Or 'The Good Habit,' in English." A man's voice supplies from her left.

She turns to the direction of the voice and locks gazes with a tall, good-looking man having distinctly Mediterranean features—olive skin, brown eyes, dark hair—smiling amiably at her. He looked easy-going in his khaki button-down shirt and jeans leaning next to the entrance of the pub.

"Are you new here? Tourist?" he tilts his head to the pub. "Fancy a drink?"

"Just moved in. I'll go for a drink, thanks," Altheia replied as she made her way to the entrance. Grinning, the man pushed himself off the wall and rushed to hold the door open for her. "You didn't need to do that_._"

"Ah but you're my first customer of the day, _ciccina,_ that's practically family," The man's chuckle was infectious. Altheia settled into a chair by the bar and watched as he made his way behind the counter. "Name's Sebastian, locals call me Bass. What can I get you?"

She tried a mischievous smile. "Alright then Sebastian, if your vieux carré's any good, I might just come back and call you Bass."

Sebastian leaned back, hand hovering over his heart playfully, head tilted to the side. Despite being a well-built grown man, he only looked adorable doing that. "A woman after my own heart! Oh if she only told me her name…"

"Less talking, more bartending," she grinned at him. With a bark of a laugh, Sebastian got to work.

"Liquor at 5 in the afternoon. Should I be concerned?"

_Nope, just spent two months trying not to die. _Altheia waved her hand dismissively. "Just celebrating."

"Good," Sebastian grinned at her. "If you were an alcoholic I'd have to kick you out."

Quirking a brow, "Isn't that bad for business?" He literally owned a bar.

"I'm willing to lose a few dollars to keep a pretty girl sober," Sebastian winked as he placed the drink on the counter in front of her.

"And if you don't cool it with the flirting, Bass, you'll lose all your customers," a head peeked from the kitchens and waved a hand in her direction. "You'll have to excuse him, my older brother's a degenerate."

Altheia laughed at the unimpressed glare Sebastian sent the cook. "The chips better be done when I get back there, Rabastan."

"It's fine," she assured Rabastan. "I've heard worse pick-up lines."

Rabastan's booming laughter echoed from the backroom. Sebastian turned to her with a lopsided grin. "How's the taste?"

Sipping indulgently, Altheia replied, "Acceptable." Sebastian seemed insulted.

"Now, now, you don't have to hold back," Rabastan's voice called from the kitchens. "Bass may be a fiend, but he's got one hell of a hand for blending chemicals."

"Yeah, you're right," the Italian relented with a pout. She followed in a small voice, "This might be the best drink I've had my whole life."

Rabastan seemed to have heard it from his place, and his chuckle put a blush on her cheeks. She sunk into her seat and focused her eyes on her delicious drink.

"Now you're just begging to be courted," Sebastian whispered with a sensual smile, leaning his arms on the counter, and resting his chin on an open palm. "You got a name?"

"I'm just looking for friends, Bass," she said deliberately and then returned his amicable smile. "Altheia Beneventi."

"I can do friends, Altheia," Sebastian replied quickly. Altheia threw him an unimpressed look. He laughed. "Fine, fine. Not every day new people move in anyway. What are you, twenty-two?"

_Nice try, smoothtalker. _"I'm probably around your age."

"I refuse to believe you are twenty-nine."

"Close. Twenty-eight."

Sebastian looked at her pensively and hummed, "Beautiful woman, twenty-eight but looks twenty, just moved into town, drinking hard liquor in the afternoon. I bet your story's good."

_Ha!_ Altheia downed her glass and bit off the cherry from the stick. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Bartender. Comes with the job description."

"Maybe next time," she placed her bill and hopped off the barstool. "After you tell me the story of why you and your brother moved here from the Latin Americas."

Rabastan whistled low from the kitchens. Sebastian squinted at her, but she knew he was far beyond impressed.

"And how'd you gather that?"

"Oh Bass," she threw a playful wink before walking out the door. "No self-respecting Italian serves American cocktails in the afternoon. See you 'round."

"Italians do so love their wine," Rabastan murmured, clapping a hand on his brother's back as Sebastian stared at the door.

Sebastian shook his head slowly after a minute, "When do you think she'll be back?"

"Close your mouth, Bass."

»»—- ❈ —-««

Hours later, Altheia was almost skipping back to the piazza. Volterra wasn't so bad at all. She'd spent most of her energy going from shop to shop, eyeing at clothes, books, and trinkets, trying out snacks and sweets at various cafes that all her stress had completely disappeared from existence. Was she tipsy she entire time? Maybe, yes, who cared? She was absolutely determined to have a happy day—it was her first day as a Volturi, after all! That called for some sort of commemoration. Hmmm, now that she thought about it, would Aro and Marcus have returned by now?

The clocktower struck at eight, and Altheia made her way around the walls of the castle, furtively glancing at her surroundings before heading for the hidden passageway that led to the southern gates. Instinctively, she slowed down, noticing a man's figure rested on the side of the passageway, arms crossed above his chest.

With a deep breath, she pulled her coat closer to herself and looked down, brown locks hiding her face from view as she neared the passageway. Determined to ignore his presence, she keeps her gaze straight on the brick floor as she passes by.

An arm shoots out at the last second, grabbing her wrist, startling her. She pulls her arm back and is ready to run when, "You're Altheia Beneventi, aren't you."

She freezes mid-step. There's enough lighting in the dark for her to meet the man's gaze. The moment their eyes meet, she knows exactly who it is—Bella's father.

"You shouldn't be here," she hisses immediately under her breath. "Walk away, _signore._"

"Look, I—"

"Walk. Away. _Now_." Altheia's instincts are rising and she's not subtle about pushing him away from the passageway with all her strength. _God-fucking-damn-it, Bella, I thought you were taking care of this!_ "I'll tell Bella to meet you outside. She'll meet you outside. _Go. Now!"_

The man catches her arm again. "I'm not here for my daughter," his voice is raised.

Altheia almost snarls in response until the look on Charlie's face tells her what she needed to know.

_He knows._

"They'll _kill_ you here, Charlie Swan," Altheia says seriously. Her fists are shaking. "Don't do this to Bella. She's not prisoner here. I'm telling you—_walk. away. now._"

"I'm here because Forks needs me to be—you understand? The body count is at 400. A cold one almost got me in my own home. Any more and the world's going to give attention," he rushes his words with panic. "Bella doesn't know what's happened since she left."

…_Charlie hasn't been answering my calls… swamped with work…_

…_he's chief of police…_

Altheia's lips curl in disdain, and she glares at him darkly. "Charlie, you're not thinking this through."

"I'm not here because I'm Bella's father," he says and Altheia immediately scoffs in disbelief. "I'm here to speak with the Volturi."

And Volturi she was.

Altheia clenched her jaw.

_Fuck!_

* * *

*Translations for this chapter:

_Che te pozzino ammazza_ – you shall be butchered!  
_A fanabla – _go to hell!**_  
_**_Donna furba_ – sly/cunning woman. _Furbo_ is more of a compliment than an insult when used to describe someone.  
_Ciccina_ – casual form of calling someone 'sweetie'

*Vieux carre is a french-named cocktail but originated in New Orleans. It's made with whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, benedictine D.O.M, bitters, and topped with a cherry. I myself do not drink much alcohol but I can appreciate their taste after a vengeful day.

**Version 23 Jun 2020**

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**Post Chapter Notes**

I'd like to remind everyone that this is an eventual romance polyfic but it's not going to happen so fast because I'm a piece of sh-

Ah yes- time for the questions. Is Bass going to be a thing? Yes, he is an adorable thing that will do things in the story. What will Sulpicia do? Hmmmm, what? Is Charlie going to die? Aw man lemme flip a coin for you. Is Bella/Edward/Mystery Guard going to make an appearance soon? Shucks I am absolutely of no help today might as well end this now hahaha BYE absolutely LOVE yall please leave reviews! they absolutely make me write updates faster!

**Announcement: POLL FOR BELLA'S MYSTERY GUARD IS UP ON MY PROFILE! Vote vote vote wisely please! (For first time poll-users, it can be seen and accessed via the desktop site, topmost center of the profile.)**


	14. Chapter XI: The Right Thing to Do

**For Twilight fanfiction readers, writers, and artists alike:** I've made a discord server where we can meet each other and hang around. Everyone in the fandom is welcome. Get to know the people behind your favorite fics, the readers cheering you on, or even the artists who breathe life into your characters. The discord server link is ** discord .gg/qKjcTRb** and we're waiting for you to join us!

* * *

Here you go, dear. Take it with your morning coffee/evening tea. Love lots, Reveri xx

PS. Poll for Bella's mystery guard is still open btw. For first time poll users- it's found at the topmost center of my profile and can only be seen using desktop mode, not using the FFN app. I'll have to close it when end of August maybe. See you next chapter.

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**Chapter XI: The Right Thing to Do**

**FORKS, WASHINGTON, USA…**

For months since her return from Italy, Alice Cullen willed herself to live as quietly as possible. What happened back in Italy, after all, was a complete mess that prompted from her unwelcome obtrusion into the timeline of life. Her decision meant restricting herself from seeing and interfering with future events, or relaying her visions to any of her family members, no matter what any of them said to try and convince her otherwise.

At first it was difficult to turn the visions away, but gradually she learned to accept the soft lull of unexpectance. She found that when she avoided thinking of the future and decided on a whim, she didn't have to experience the onslaught of a hundred visions that bombarded her mind, endless visions of consequences that she used to skim through, one by one, to live her life.

Edward had been particularly irate with her decision and continued to pester her with calls, but what could he do when she kept turning him away? She refused to resolve his uncertainties like before. She'd put her foot down and it resulted into a full-blown sibling squabble, and Jasper comforted her the way he always did.

"Do what you think is right, Alice." Her husband said, patting the top of her head when he found her hunched over a fallen tree log, chin resting in her hands and pouting like a child. She'd just drained a mountain elk moments before, and a blurred smear of blood rested around her thin lips. "Edward may not understand your decision, but I do."

Of course Jasper understood. He'd been with her for so long. He'd seen both good times and the bad. Making one decision, changing another, seeing life, living in multiples. And despite the capriciousness of her life, he remained her one constant. What would she do without him?

"Sorry, Jazz," she mutters. "I've been such a downer lately."

He shakes his head softly and sits next to her, pulling her small frame to him with one arm. He places a kiss on the side of her head. "It's fine."

"I just…" she shrugs weakly. "I just don't want to feel guilty for anything that happens."

Jasper nods and sends a teasing smile over. "It's not like you won't tell us anything anymore. Think of it this way—you'll be our glorified weatherman. We'll only ask you questions like: will it be sunny, cloudy, or rainy today, Miss Alice?"

She laughs, swatting his chest playfully and they trek back through the wilderness hand in hand.

Months pass, and oddly enough, life happened even without her predicting it. Life was less inevitable, and she learned to indulge her instincts more. She'd forgotten what it was like to _not know_ what happened next. For months she was successful— until one moment, in the middle of a sunny, quiet Sunday, everything came to a screeching halt in her mind again.

Alice braced herself to impede the vision, but for the first time in a long time, she is unable to stop the strong onslaught of her gift. She cripples on the first landing of the stairs of the house with a sharp cry.

* * *

_A redheaded vampire emerged from the dark path of the trees and into a snowy clearing. Her red gaze looks ahead to where Alice stands alone._

_"Little fortuneteller," Victoria hisses. "Have you come to die?"_

_Alice laughs. "Only I know how this ends, Victoria."_

_The nomad snarls at her. "James should have killed you instead!"_

* * *

"No!_"_ Alice cries, struggling against the vision fiercely. "No! I don't— _I don't want to see!"_

"Alice!" Jasper's familiar presence molds against her form. His hands pull her fists away from pounding the sides of her head. He turns Alice's face to him and flinches when he meets grey, wide, and unseeing eyes.

* * *

_"The Volturi don't give second chances. You know this." In the vision, Alice starts walking forward. "You made a big mistake."_

_"How could I have known! I only wanted the girl! A mate for a mate!" Victoria cried. "He promised me I'd have her!"_

_A howl rang through the trees, and Alice halted in her tracks when a cloaked blur sped through the dark towards the redheaded nomad. In less than a second, Victoria was lifted off the snow, hanging by a fist around her neck._

_"You poor thing. You believed them?" The cloaked man spoke, clenching his fingers around her like a noose. "Where did they take the girl?"_

_Marble skin broke. Victoria shrieked and thrashed. "I don't know! I don't know! Please!"_

_The cloaked man tutted. "How regrettable."_

_A sharp noise followed, and Victoria's head rolled through the snow._

* * *

Alice's eyelids fluttered as the vision pulled away. Her mind spun in circles and she barely registered the soothing strokes on her hair.

"It was too strong," Alice said weakly when she recovered, hands fisting at Jasper's shirt. "I couldn't fight it… I had to see."

_I don't want to feel guilty anymore._

"What did you see, Alice?"

_I don't want to see._

"Jasper, we have to go now," she sobbed. "You have to call Carlisle. The wolves... We need to warn the Volturi… We need to tell Edward."

"What? What's happening?" Rosalie crouched to her level. "Alice?"

"It was Victoria all long. The newborns…" Alice curled against her husband's chest. "She's going after Bella. A mate for a mate."

_It's not my fault._

"Bella's in danger," her wavering voice continued. "Victoria _took_ her."

"We'll take care of it, Alice." Jasper assured her, securing her to him. "We'll protect her. I promise."

_It's not my fault._

»»—- —-««

**VOLTERRA CASTLE, ITALY. PRESENT TIME…**

Kitten heels clicked against the marble floor as Altheia alighted from the elevator and stepped into the lobby. She pulled a traveler's luggage behind her and sighed deeply. If Bella's hysterical voice was any indication, a commotion was sure to greet her when she rounded the corner.

"Ariana, you _know_ my father's in there!"

"You know I cant let you in, Bella."

"If you'd just let me _explain_ to the—"

"Bella, Edward, please." Ariana scolded as she stood in front of the doors leading to the throne room, a hand resting on her hip. "You know you can't go in. If you keep doing this, _I'll_ have to answer for it. So please. Sit down."

With Jane and Alec leaned against each side of the doorframe, smirking at Edward, daring him to try and get past them, there was nothing he could do.

Edward threw a cautious arm across Bella's stomach and tried to lead her away. "Bella..." he pleaded.

"Edward, you can't possibly expect me to—"

"_Signorina!" _Ariana called out to her as the secretary spotted her arrival, relief apparent in her voice. "You've returned. The masters are waiting for you inside."

Altheia frowned, pointedly averting her gaze from the couple as she headed for the throne room. "I know."

Bella doesn't take her hint and reaches for the scholar's free arm.

"Altheia! They've got Charlie! You can convince them to let us in, can't you?" Bella cried desperately as she clung. The scholar winced at the tightness of the grip. "You _have_ to help me!"

Altheia paused and glared at the grip on her arm until it was dropped. She lifted her gaze slowly to deign Bella with a cold stare.

"I have to help you? _Have_ to?" she echoed spitefully. The Italian scoffed at wide-eyed expression on Bella's face. "Get your head out of your ass, Bella. I don't _have_ to do _anything_ for you."

Bella stepped back. "Altheia, wha… I…"

"You think I would save Charlie if it meant dying?" Altheia shook her head firmly as she stepped away. "Bella, what if they kill _me?_ Don't you think I want to live, too?"

Bella's lips parted, but not a single word was said as she gaped helplessly at the older woman. Quietly, Edward placed a firm hand on her shoulder. He gestured to the witch twins.

Jane and Alec were no longer simply leaned against the wall. They were taking steps toward the couple, red gazes locked on the two of them in warning.

"Why do you _think_ humans shouldn't live amongst vampires? Why do you _think_ vampires have laws?" Altheia offered tonelessly as she passed the twins and pushed the double doors open. "Whose fault is it that I'm in Volterra? That Charlie might die?"

With the doors parted, Edward could see the glimpse of the kings in their thrones, and the figure of a lone man kneeled opposite to them. _Charlie._

"Haven't you done enough?" Altheia hissed angrily.

Bella looked on, mute and teary-eyed as the doors closed shut.

»»—- —-««

"He speaks the truth, masters," Altheia takes a calming breath before walking to the front of the opulent space with suitcase in tow. "_Signore _Swan's luggages at the hotel contained case files and reports from Washington's records. Felix is transporting the rest of them as we speak."

"Thank you, dear Altheia," Aro murmured from his seat. "It is simply difficult to ascertain the claims of a mind that is obscured from me."

Altheia nodded slowly. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but Charlie Swan's mind was a lot like his daughter's in the sense that telepaths couldn't read him as typical. While Bella's mind was a complete blank to Aro, Charlie's thoughts were supposedly intermittent and incomplete when the monarch tried to read through them. She could tell from Aro's reaction that the consequent appearances of humans with mental shields was starting to become more of an unpleasant hindrance to him, rather than a welcome peculiarity.

The swans in the vicinity were one too many, it seemed like.

She shivered inadvertently when Aro's eyes centered on her. She continued, "It also seemed like Carlisle expected our call. The Cullens will land in Florence in an hour, and they will be here by sundown."

"Of course they expected this," Aro said bitterly. "They have Alice, after all."

At the silence that followed, the woman looked to the monarchs beside him. Marcus' attention was focused on the chief—and the blurry storm in his gaze confirmed that he was using his gift. Caius remained strangely reticent that Aro extended an arm to him.

"He has not divested our secrets, brother, that much I can confirm from his thoughts." Aro assured him again. "_Chief Swan_ knows he will die here today, and is simply willing to die in exchange for the salvation of his home."

"Please, _signori_. I am no liar," Charlie said evenly, hesitant to lift his head to meet their crimson gaze. "I brought everything I could bring with me to help you understand. You'll see in the files. Where they're taking people from. How many… how many they've taken. I took everything…"

Marcus sighed, shooting a glance at the snow-haired monarch next to him. "What is troubling from your claims is the presence of the Children of the Moon."

Caius nods once, stiffly. Charlie immediately defends, "I swear, I'm not lying—"

"The Children of the Moon were hunted to extinction, Charlie." Altheia says to him seriously. "It's just… unbelievable. They turned in front of you and... you're alive? The Children of the Moon are _mindless_. They would have never cared for humans like us. Even if they'd just killed a vampire, you would have been torn and eaten the minute they sensed you."

Charlie wiped a hand across his face, frustrated. "I know what I saw. They told me that the pack protected the reservation from the Cold Ones... from vampires. And with more vampires entering their territory, more of the natives began phasing."

Altheia shook her head stubbornly at him, still disbelieving. "What did they look like?"

"Like werewolves," he answered immediately. "Five—no, almost ten times bigger than the usual. They howled too, and they transformed in front of me. I _know_ what I saw. My head was the size of its _paw._"

"See, _that's_ why I can't believe it. The Children of the Moon don't look like werewolves at all." Altheia turns to Caius slowly. "They should've looked more like apes, shouldn't they?"

Caius meets her gaze briefly before he turns to Aro.

"I do not doubt the existence of other creatures," Caius finally says and rises from his seat, staring down at the human before him. "But there is much to ascertain before judgment. We will reconvene when the Cullens arrive."

Marcus rose as well. Aro turned to Demetri and instructed, "Keep _signore_ Swan in the drawing room. And let Isabella meet with her father. Her cries are far too annoying to tolerate still."

Demetri nodded and spared a glance at Altheia, whose face remained inscrutable as she trailed after Marcus. "And the Cullen?"

"Wherever he likes," Aro sighed as he turned away. "Perhaps Edward will do me a favor and step out into the sun."

»»—- —-««

**THE CONVENING CHAMBERS…**

Altheia spent the afternoon in the company of Chelsea as they duplicated and sorted through the files Felix and Santiago brought over from Charlie's suite. With Chelsea's speed, half the work was done in no time, and all that was left was for the scholar to read through everything. When they had finished organizing heaps of records across the broad table, a mixed impression of dread and grief nestled in her chest.

Two nights ago, she had met Bella's father and managed to pull him away from undoubtedly causing an uproar in the ranks of the Volturi. The police chief had relented and relayed his concerns to her at a different meeting place. He'd told her everything he knew—the vampires, the Cullens, Bella's residence with the Volturi. When he got to the part where he nearly died from a newborn attack in his own house and was saved by a pack of wolfbeasts, she figured that the supernatural world was not as clearcut and fantastic as Bella liked to think.

But none of this was _her_ problem, right? There was no reason for her to stick up for Bella, or Charlie, or any of them. No reason at all.

She wouldn't throw away her life again. _That_ was precisely why she'd prickled at Bella's pleas earlier. Hadn't her friend considered how precarious all their situations were? Yeah, she was a Volturi now, but _barely,_ and that hardly meant she could ask for anything she wanted.

And yet Charlie looked so much like his daughter. The honesty and desperation in his eyes reminded her of how Bella was like when she'd met her at the plane months ago. They weren't asking any of this for themselves. And it wasn't like Altheia hadn't tried to ignore all of it and retreat to the comfort of her books. She tried. She failed.

Ultimately, all of this was so much bigger than her. Much, much bigger. And she had to do what was right.

Countless faces of children, mothers, sons, and daughters stared back at her as she scanned each file. Men and women whose families mourned, and perhaps until now, tirelessly waited for to return home.

She lost track of her surroundings, and by the time she looked around the room, Chelsea had already taken her leave. Her own muscles protested when she moved, eliciting a groan from her.

"Three hundred and eight open cases in total," she said after taking account of all the folders. "One hundred and thirty corpses found in different parts of Washington over the span of five months. Suspected animal attacks, murder… The victims are in the age range of ten to sixty-five. No specific demographic."

Aro frowned. The black-haired monarch was so still that he looked like a sculpture. He kept his eyes closed as he sat in his armchair, hands clasped across his stomach as he waited.

Caius, on the other hand, continued to work his own ledger, but the miniscule pause in his writing told the scholar he'd heard her.

Only Marcus held her gaze. He beckoned her over, patting the cushioned space next to him on the divan. Casting a nervous glance to his brothers first, Altheia's lethargy eventually won and she took her place next to Marcus on the lounge. She squeaked in surprise when his palm pushed her head to rest on his shoulder.

Instead of moving away, she sighed deeply and hid her face from view. Altheia allowed herself to succumb to her feelings, closed her eyes, and breathed in the familiar, calming bergamot scent that invaded her senses.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" Marcus asked, his voice seeping into the quiet.

From her place on his side, the scholar tensed. She let his question hang in the air before pulling her head back. Marcus looked at her pointedly, and she began to gnaw on her lip.

"You'll be angry at me... I think."

Marcus hummed noncommittally. "You may be immune to Aro's gift, but not mine. Best to just tell."

Drat_._ She refused to look over where the telepath was sure to be eyeing her.

"Fine, Mr. I-Can-Read-Bonds-And-Therefore-No-Secrets," she wrinkled her nose at him. She took a quick breath and went out with it. "I didn't just meet Bella's father this morning. I met him two nights ago and helped him plan out his allegations before taking him in. And—before you get angry—" she held her palms out in defense. "—I didn't do any of it for Bella. Or Edward, or _any_ of the Cullens. I'm not siding with anyone, and I don't think it's a savior complex, and I did it because… all those people. You know. It just seemed like the right thing to do."

Altheia fiddled with her thumbs as the silence ensued.

"I understand that I have obligations as a Volturi," she rambled on. "But… all of this is new to me. And most of it I still don't understand_._ I'm used to keeping to myself, and reading books, and most of my life I've lived following a clear set of rules, morals, and protocols and _none of it_ involved the supernatural, or least of all, their _wars_ and I've _never_ had to deal with _this much_ emotion, _and people_—oh god—having to think about the _consequences_ of the _lives of other people_ is just—" she threw her hands up before exhaling heavily. "It's not… I don't… I don't like any of it. It's best I just stay in the library or, something, I don't know."

When Marcus raised his hand to her, she flinched. But his hand found the top of her head and mussed her hair.

"Mmhm. We know." His voice sounded anything but angry. "You were acting out of sorts."

Aro's tone was chiding. "Did you really think I'd let you walk around town alone?"

"Maybe," she blubbed.

Altheia couldn't help it. She placed her head back on Marcus' shoulder and hid her mess of a face, mouth crumpling as she began to sniffle.

The truth was she did. Because she figured they trusted her. It had been difficult for her to tiptoe around the castle grounds and sleep at night, thinking of how they would react at what she had done _exactly_ because she did. Because this was _Aro._ And _Marcus. _And _Caius._ They gave her so many chances to prove herself. And despite their troubled start and her mixed emotions, she was a lost little person before meeting them, and the wisdom and companionship they'd given her from then on was deeper than anything she'd had with anyone else.

"Sheltered little girl," Caius intoned as Marcus stroked her hair. "Obligations? _Obligations?_ _You?_ What could you have _possibly_ don—Marcus, _stop_ _coddling her_."

Altheia pulled away from Marcus again and opted to stare at the floor.

The brown tips of Aro's leather shoes entered her field of vision. He crouched in front of her and tipped her chin slightly so she would look at him. His voice, a deep baritone, inquired calmly.

"Perhaps it is time to address this matter. Why do you think I keep you?"

Keep her? To her and Caius it was a mystery. She shrugged, "I don't know."

Aro hummed. "Why don't you guess?"

The scholar rattled her brain for words. "To read books and keep you company. Scholar and all that."

"Mmm. No."

"No?" she repeated. Aro nodded, a small smirk on his lips. She tried again, "Because you can't read my mind."

Aro scoffed as if it was an inconvenient fact. "What could your mind possibly know that I don't already? How presumptuous."

She cringed. He had a point. He was literally three thousand years older than her _and_ he read a person's entire life with a single touch… She stared at paleness of his cheeks and tried the obvious.

"Because you want to… drink my blood," she said lamely.

"While you do smell nice," Aro's eyes crinkled when he smiled. "no."

"Because I amuse you," she blurted.

"Yes, you do, but no."

A small laugh bubbled from her lips. Aro chuckled.

"Because it pleases Marcus _and_ it annoys Caius."

"Two birds, one stone," Aro conceded playfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Caius scoffed a few feet away from them, and Altheia realized that the eldest vampire didn't look as enraged as usual. In fact, the tenseness in his expression wasn't there as he looked on.

Aro cleared his throat. "I'll allow one more guess then."

She glanced at Marcus quickly before looking back to Aro. Hesitating, she bit her lip and tried her most selfish guess.

"Because you're lonely?"

When Aro only stared back at her, she decided to push further.

"Because I'm lonely."

Aro didn't shake his head. His gaze didn't leave hers for a single moment.

"Just like Marcus," Aro divulged in a quiet whisper. "Just like Caius."

Oh.

When both his and her words clicked into place, she inhaled sharply.

_Oh._

Everything remained motionless until she breathed in shakily, leaned towards Aro and rested her forehead against his. Her heart started to beat faster in her chest.

"Oh," she swallowed thickly. "I see."

"It's not an obligation." Aro said softly.

"No. Definitely not," she said.

Her bravado wavered. With cheeks aflame, she let her head fall to his shoulder. Her voice was barely a whisper. "...Really?"

Aro still smelled like musk and pomegranates.

"Really."

The moment broke when Caius released a long groan from his seat, irritated. "What? _What?_ What emotional shit is that?"

Marcus laughed heartily, and Altheia smothered her own into Aro's dress shirt.

"He's a bit slow at times," Aro whispered to her ear. She could feel his smile on the side of her face. "We'll tell him later."

Marcus suddenly pulled her back and sent his brother a knowing look. "Aro. Stop coddling her."

Aro rolled his eyes and stood, righting his attire. "That was Caius. Not me."

"What?" Caius pressed again, his brows furrowed together in confusion. "What?"

"We'll talk later," Aro waved a hand dismissively in his general direction and walked to the exit. Caius groaned again, head falling back onto the headrest of his leather armchair. "After the trial."

"Fine." Caius conceded. "I hear them too."

The Cullens had arrived? Altheia sat up straight and jolted when Marcus' hand squeezed her fingers.

"No obligation," Marcus reminded her firmly. She nodded.

The rest of them stood and followed after Aro. The scholar opted to step out last, allowing the snow-haired vampire to don his cloak and take his rightful place next to his brothers. When Caius' cold hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, she gasped.

"We'll talk," he told her. "After the trial."

She nodded, noting that his hold was nowhere near as harsh as before. "Yes, Caius. Later."

He stared at her and then tilted his head very slightly, "Or you could just tell me now."

Almost immediately, the woman in front of him startled and shook her head back and forth, laughing nervously under her breath. She pried her arm from him and refused to meet his gaze. He watched bemusedly as she escaped and almost broke into a run to catch up with his brothers who were now at the end of the long corridor.

_Later then. _Caius decided. _When y__ou won't be able to run._

* * *

**Post Chapter Support Group**

hides behind barricade in preparation for your angry shouting*

I thought I'd forego the discussion for this chapter because if I elaborate too much it'll spoil the next one. But anyway, sometimes all we need is some fluff and wordless romance haphazardly thrown into a salad bowl. I sprinkled too mu- I mean, a little angst over it, too. With the way this update turned out, I'm happy to report that the next chapter's halfway done already, and it'll be more rewarding and explanatory. No more loose ends, I think. I'm just refining it and adding more delightful surprises for yall. Some drama, some fluff, a werewolf here, a werewolf there. *wink wink*

Thank you for leaving kind reviews. Almost everyday I go back to it and giggle to myself reading them, like, _tell me_ _more_! Write me up an entire book report and I'll love you for it. Gimme gimme! Oh and also, I started a TWO new Twilight AU!

The first AU is called Saints and Frivolities. It's a Carlisle/Human!Esme Secretary AU. Fluff and humor.

The second is called Casual Vacancy. An Aro/Marcus/Caius/Bella Roommates/Housemates AU. Rated M. Definitely romance, definitely will have sexual themes, and definitely needs your input now.

The first chapters are out. Please try them when you have the time and tell me what you think. Hugs!


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